Can You Confront the Past?
by JustAFerret
Summary: As Hisao and Hanako nurture their growing relationship, Lilly must deal with a life-changing choice and its consequences. Meanwhile, a new student attends Yamaku with his own problems, including his failure to remember them. Post-Hanako's good ending. Hisao/Hanako, Lilly/OC.
1. Fog: Chapter 1: Walk About Town

**Hello, everyone! Thought about doing this for a while before deciding, why not? So go on and enjoy!**

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Act 1: Fog

Chapter 1: Walk about Town

It wasn't every day Hanako made a valiant effort to lead. But today was no ordinary day. Both she and Hisao, after spending a few days trying to mend their relationship together, were waiting patiently at the airport terminal for Lilly. Since they'd arrive, Hanako had been anxiously pacing back and forth; waiting for any sign of her best friend's return. Hisao stood a few feet away, finding it endearing the way she expressed her excitement. Ever since the two began to break down the walls between them at the park, she had been working hard to break herself out of her self-imposed shell. It was slow, but Hisao wasn't going to push her. They both worked hard enough to get to where they were.

"Maybe that's it?" Hanako pointed at one of the incoming planes. Hisao followed her finger and shook his head solemnly.

"No, wrong colors, I think." He said. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hanako visibly deflate at his answer.

"Oh." She mumbled. Hisao suppressed a smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She peered up at him through her fringe. Hisao had only done this once before, during their late-night voyage into the city with Lilly and Akira. Although she let him, in hindsight, it was a risky move. Now, though, it felt like the most natural thing to do for her.

Hanako seemed to share his mindset. A small, warm smile graced her lips. She settled her head in the curve of his arm, silently watching the cloudless blue sky. She wasn't used to this kind of contact, but by no means did it make her uncomfortable. She leaned into him while watching the planes come and go, savoring the feeling of her body pressed against his. Instant warmth bloomed in Hisao's heart. Having this kind of casual but intimate contact with Hanako was something he never thought would become reality and yet here they were, holding each other like any new couple would.

The two stayed in comfortable silence. Occasionally, Hanako would ask Hisao if one plane was the one, only for Hisao to disagree.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Hanako pointed at another incoming plane. "How about that one?"

Hisao's tired eyes turned towards the sky. His mouth opened to allay her hope but he stopped before a word could come out. "That might be it, actually."

Hisao could see a sparkle light up in Hanako's dark eyes. She excused herself from Hisao's hold and put her hands on the wide glass window like an exuberant child. They both watched as the plane inched closer and closer to the runway before landing. Hanako pushed off the glass and took Hisao's hand.

"C-come on…They're getting out…soon." She mumbled barely above a whisper. Hisao squeeze her hand lightly before leading them both towards the plane's location. As they entered the throng of people, Hisao could feel Hanako move closer to him. Even after the slow process of healing her time-tested scars started, she was still the wary girl he met in the library a long time ago.

The two came to a stop near where the passengers were being offloaded. Hanako eagerly scanned the crowd until the striking sight of blonde hair caught her eye. Hisao noticed the unmistakable sight at the same time, waving his hand in the air to get their attention. Within seconds, one of them noticed and pushed through the crowd to greet them.

"L-Lilly!" Hanako let go of Hisao's hand and embraced her closest friend. Lilly stumbled backwards but quickly regained her footing, returning the gesture in equal force.

"Hanako, it's so good to see you again." She replied in her typical calm fashion, though there was no mistaking the smile on her face. Akira came up behind them, slapping Lilly on the shoulder before giving Hisao a casual wave.

"Yo, how did the time treat you?" she asked with a wide grin. Hisao rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging as he did.

"Been quiet for the most part. Hanako and I…just spent tried to do whatever we could to kill the time." Hisao said. He briefly contemplated the idea of telling them about his and Hanako's recent relationship upgrade. He felt confident they wouldn't disapprove of their bond, but a piece of him overrode his reasoning. They'd have a better time explaining everything once they were settled in and no doubt Hanako would appreciate being in a more comfortable area when they broke the news. It was her who decided to be the one to tell Lilly about them becoming more than friends.

"Good to hear. At least you guys had a killer time." She replied with the same snarky grin.

"So, why the delay? We didn't expect to be waiting out here for so long." Hisao half-joked. Akira's grin shrunk to a grimace as she recalled the day's earlier events.

"Yeah, it was pouring something awful when we got to the airport. We got soaked just trying to get to the entrance." Her gaze lilted to the side before adding, "The jet lag didn't help Lilly much either."

"Oh? And you didn't feel a thing?" Lilly retorted, turning her cloudy blue eyes towards her headstrong sister. Akira puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips.

"Nah, I'm used to it."

Akira checked the watch on her wrist. A frown etched itself on her face as she said, "I gotta go. Guess I have no time to rest after all. You guys can find your way back right?"

Lilly clasped her hands together, a questioning look plainly written on her face. "You're leaving already?"

"Yup. No rest for the wicked, huh? I'll catch you guys later. The taxi for you guys should be around…somewhere. I'll call you later Lilly. Ciao," Akira held her hand up high as she walked off, leaving the other three in a thick crowd.

"Need help with your bags, Lilly?" Hisao offered. Lilly gave him another one of her sweet smiles and nodded.

"Thank you, Hisao. I see you haven't lost your gentlemanly touch," She said with a soft laugh, probably because of her use of the word 'see'. Hisao shrugged it off and led the way to the bag retrieval without thinking anything of it. He had learned long ago that he didn't need to worry about tripping a sensitive landmine when it came to Lilly's blindness.

It only took a short span of time for Hisao to grab Lilly's luggage before exiting the airport. A fresh blast of air hit his face as he stepped out. The warm summer wind tickled his skin as he basked in the sun's rays. Hisao's arms protested slightly as he carried Lilly's suitcase with her and Hanako on either side of him. Lilly reached into her bag and fished out her cane, extending it with a flick of her wrist before continuing on.

"Were you able to enjoy yourself while I was away, Hanako?" Lilly's airy voice broke the silence as they walked. Her cane lightly tapped against the concrete, punctuating every word. Hisao and Hanako shared a quick glance with Hanako absently rubbed her arm, trying to muster a good response.

"Y-yes. I-I spent on a lot of time in the library…and with Hisao," she answered her. Another few taps from Lilly's cane filled the pause before Hanako added, "We…we went to the park the other day to…relax."

"Yeah, just another lazy day. So how was Scotland, Lilly? Is your aunt alright?" Hisao interjected. Ready to change subjects.

"Yes, she's quite fine. She gave us a bit of a scare, but the doctors say she'll make a full recovery." Lilly said with relief evident in her voice. Hanako smiled and stared down at the ground.

"I'm happy for your aunt." She said meekly.

"Thank you, Hanako."

Another lull entered their conversation. Hisao's arms felt like they'd give way under the amount of exertion he was putting on them. Of course giving out now and putting the burden on someone else wasn't a better alternative. He had to be the gentleman, after all.

A yelp drew his attention towards Hanako. She looked up, like a deer in headlights, at the person she bumped into. A boy with black hair no older than them stared back at her, his eyes wide but his face blank. It wasn't hard to notice he was staring at Hanako's severe scars and, true to custom; he quickly looked away, preferring to look down at the sidewalk. Hisao was reminded of the old man that ran the antique store where he bought Hanako's birthday present. And just like before, he felt some irritation at the boy's blatant attempt at looking casual.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Before Hanako could give a reply, he walked away, his eyes still planted firmly on the ground. Hanako's shoulders sunk as she did the same.

"Hanako, what happened?" Lilly was still staring ahead of her, unaware of her collision. Hisao looked back the boy for a brief moment before giving Hanako a slight nudge on the shoulder. She tilted her head up at him, looking dejected.

"Hanako just had a run in with someone." Hisao said. Lilly perked up and glanced at Hanako's general direction.

"Is everything alright?"

Hanako's eyes darted from Hisao to Lilly then back before saying in her best strong voice, "Y-yes. I'm fine, Lilly. It's…nothing to worry about."

Hisao watched with some pride as Lilly processed her words. Her face was blank with concentration before turning back to its usual calm expression. "Very well, shall we move on?"

Hisao nodded before realizing the futility of the action. He mentally slapped himself on the head, "Sure thing."

Hisao soon caught sight of the taxi Akira had called. After making sure it was indeed the right one, Hisao loaded the trunk with Lilly's belongings and the three piled in the backseat.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Do you two have any plans for the three day weekend?" Lilly asked. Hisao and Hanako exchanged shrugs.

"Not really, no. Did you have something in mind?" Hisao asked. Lilly nodded. She tapped a slender finger against her pale cheek as she spoke.

"Indeed. I was thinking that we could spend the weekend in my family's summer home in Hokkaido. Akira says she's planning to go there herself and thought it would be better if we went before her." She said.

"Sounds like she's trying to get us to clean the house for her." Hisao speculated. Lilly laughed and pressed her hand against her lips.

"I wouldn't put it past her. She's clever like that."

"Well in any case, I'm all for it." Hisao said. Hanako shared in his agreement, nodding while she spoke.

"I-I would like it too…" she said. Lilly nodded with a large smile.

"Very good. Looks like I'll be packing once again." Lilly said with a cheeky grin. Hisao chuckled lightly.

Something took hold of Hisao's hand. He looked down and felt the blood rush to his cheeks when he saw Hanako's fingers intertwined with his. Hanako was blushing as well but she kept staring down at their hands rather than him.

"This is new." Hisao whispered low enough for Hanako to hear and not Lilly. At least, he hoped she couldn't.

"I-I thought since…we…we were trying to know each other better, I thought…" Hisao placed his other hand over hers. His fingers ran gently over her scars. The contrast between her smooth skin and taut, leather-like scars still felt jarring to him, but he tried his best not to show it.

"I'm okay with it, Hanako. This is what two people do in a relationship, right?" Hanako's blushing deepened as she squeezed his hand lightly.

"R-Right."

Hisao could swear there was a small glint in her eyes as she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her dark locks of hair dangled over her face as she whispered, "I-I like that we can do this."

Hisao returned her sentiment with a light squeeze of her hand. The rest of the car ride passed in silence.

…

Hisao stood in front of the girl's dorm, his arms threatening to give out under the weight of Lilly's baggage. He finally showed some mercy and dropped them to the ground, letting Lilly take them, "Thank you, Hisao. It feels nice retuning to Yamaku."

Hanako came to his side and held his hand. Hisao turned his attention to her and smiled. Hanako returned the gesture before turning to Lilly. "Umm…Lilly?"

"Yes, Hanako?"

Hanako mumbled under her breath, unsure of how to phrase her statement. Hisao's eyes jumped from Lilly to Hanako. A part of him wanted to help her along, but they both agreed to let her be the one to tell Lilly. Ever since she and Lilly met, she always followed the path that remained away from the spotlight, away from any chance of attention. And now Hanako, that shy and nervous girl Lilly knew almost through and through, needed to show how strong she became in the short time Lilly was gone.

"While you were gone…Hi-Hisao and I…" Hanako gulped nervously but pressed forward without breaking stride. "We…We found out about each other. We're…together now. We're dating."

Hanako's entire body stood uncomfortably still. Her hand kept a tense grip on Hisao's as they both waited for a response. Lilly's expression remained pensive with her hands clasped in front of her. Before either Hanako or Hisao could entertain the thought of explaining themselves, a bright, cheerful smile erupted on Lilly's lips.

"Hanako, Hisao, I can't tell you how happy I am for the both of you." Hanako fidgeted slightly before vigorously nodding.

"Thank you, Lilly. I-I almost thought you wouldn't approve of us." She said. Lilly shook her head and rook Hanako's hand in hers.

"Nonsense, Hanako. If anything, I'm ecstatic that you two have grown closer. I always felt there was some connection between you both," Lilly released Hanako's hand and chuckled lightly to herself, "You two deserve each other; however amusing it was to see you both trying to act normal around each other."

Hanako blushed while Hisao stuttered sheepishly. Exactly how long did Lilly know about their affection for each other, he wondered? Thinking back, there were several times that he could have interpreted as Lilly subtlety prodding them to get closer. She already admitted the reasoning behind their late night excursion into the city. Were there other times she tried to indirectly help them?

Regardless, Hisao forced an awkward cough and wringed his hands, "Well, thanks a lot, Lilly. We owe you."

Lilly waved a hand in front of her, dismissing the notion, "I'd do anything for my friends, Hisao."

A period of silence followed as Lilly gathered her things, "I must be off to my dorm now. I'm exhausted after that long flight."

Lilly took a hold of her bags and nodded, the cheerful smile never leaving her face, "Hanako, could you please help me to my room? And I will see you early in the morning, Hisao? The trip to Hokkaido will be a long one."

"Sure thing, Lilly." Hisao said. Hanako took a step towards Lilly's luggage before freezing in place. She hesitated briefly before whipping around and wrapping her arms around Hisao's neck, pulling him into a soft kiss. Hisao's arms stayed limp at his side before regaining his senses. He rested his hands on her sides and fervently returned her affection. The kiss lasted a moment longer before Hanako pulled away, leaving a lingering warmth on Hisao's lips. Hanako's cheeks were flushed, almost red.

A dainty smile on her face grew as she spoke, "S-see you tomorrow, Hisao."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

The two stared at each other for a moment longer before Hanako nodded abruptly, taking Lilly's bags and ushering her inside. Hisao released a light sigh and walked back into the male dorm, beaming all the way to his room.

For the first time in months, he felt genuinely happy.

…

"Hanako, there is a question I'd like to ask." Lilly said. Her suitcase lay agape on her bed as she fished out random articles of clothing. Hanako, who kept her eyes glued to the view outside, nodded timidly.

"Wh-what is it?"

Lilly turned away from her bed, staring at Hanako with her clouded blue eyes. "I don't mean to pry, but I am rather curious. How did you and Hisao find out about each other's feelings?"

Hanako opened her mouth but said nothing. A multitude of things jumbled in her mind. What could she possibly say to her? Hanako didn't have a doubt in her mind that she could trust Lilly with anything, but remembering what happened that night, let alone relaying it, was at the very least, uncomfortable. Even though she and Hisao agreed to put it behind them, she still felt disgusted with herself. She confided in Lilly about many things, but this time she wasn't sure if this part of her life should be told to others.

The internal battle raged on inside her as she held a hand over fringe covering her scars. Seconds ticked by with a suffocating silence descending between them. Lilly, curious by Hanako's lack of a response, released a quiet sigh and searched for her friend's shoulder. After finding it, Lilly gave her a relaxed smile, "You don't need to tell me anything, Hanako. I was only curious. If you don't feel the need to tell me, I won't force anything."

Hanako immediately regretted saying nothing. On one hand, she felt an immense amount of relief. On the other, her silence was far more telling than her own words. Maybe later on, when she felt more sure of herself, she could tell the whole story. However, her last chance to explain herself now vanished as soon as Lilly changed the subject, "Hanako, would you mind grabbing me a tin of tea?"

Hanako agreed and exited her room without a sound. Lilly shuffled towards the door and shut it behind her, the smile dropping from her face. If she had to keep up her charade any longer, she was afraid she'd let something slip. Lilly navigated to her bed with ease and sat down on the firm mattress. While she was grateful neither Hisao nor Hanako delved too deeply about her trip, a part of her wanted to tell them everything; including the ultimatum posed to her so suddenly by her parents.

Ever since that day, her mind had been constantly rattled by the ominous cloud looming over her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of an end that could solve everything. Her family, the people she hadn't seen for six years, wanted her back. They wanted her to come back to Scotland; and in doing so, cut all ties to her friends.

When Akira told her about it she was furious. Not at her parents, but at the situation she was stuck in. She didn't know how to deal with any of it so she kept her feelings bottled up, letting them fester as she desperately looked for some way to appease everyone. Of course, there was no such thing. She either had to disappoint her parents or her closest friends; and she despised disappointing anyone.

Akira had already made her decision. Her parents told her about a new position in their family's business waiting for her in Scotland. Although Akira made a decent living with the job she already had, it would ultimately lead to a dead end. There were still a few rungs on the corporate ladder for her to climb and, regrettably, she chose to climb them. Her elder sister admitted to Lilly on the plane about feeling guilty having to break up with her boyfriend. She couldn't maintain a long-distance relationship with him so she had to make the difficult decision to cut him from her life. Lilly did not want the same thing to happen to her.

The remnants of her calm mask crumbled. Her hands clutched the sheets of her bed, twisting them in her fists. The more she thought about it, the more her frustrations took control. Anger seethed inside her as she released the sheets and collapsed her head in her hands. She couldn't leave Hanako or Hisao. Even if they found each other, she could not, in good faith, leave them after all they've been through together. She worked so hard to build a life for herself without her parents. Now the foundations were being pulled right under her feet.

Lilly took a deep breath to calm herself. Her sharp hearing picked up Hanako's footsteps coming closer to the door. In one fluid motion, she sat up straight and rebuilt her calm exterior, her inevitable choice shoved aside. She still had some time before her parents expected an answer. But try as she might, she could see no silver lining. Just dread filling her as the same ominous cloud came ever closer.

…

A powerful bright light stung his eyes the second he opened them. He tried to shield his eyes from the intense beams but his arm refused to cooperate or the rest of his body for that matter.

Something cool brushed against his cheek. Was he in a bed? The heavy wool blankets covering his body suggested as much. He struggled to regain control of his body, but it fought against his exertions. Soft cracks sprang from his spine as he stretched himself. A sudden wave of exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell back into his bed with a muffle sigh. His limbs felt like they hadn't been used in ages and protested against the slightest amount of force. A dull throbbing reverberated in his skull. He tried to remember what happened but was only given a swift jolt of pain for his efforts. His brain felt like it had been stabbed with a hot knife several times. Maybe he _was_ stabbed in the brain with a hot knife.

A strong, antiseptic smell suddenly assaulted his nostrils. He recognized that smell anywhere. The odor was pretty much a trademark for hospitals everywhere. His surroundings seemed to confirm it. Plain tiled ceiling, linoleum floor, and generic wallpaper adorned the room. Hospitals spent a lot of money on a lot of things. Making someone feel at home was obviously not one of them.

Fatigue continued to beckon his weary form. His body put up little resistance. He ran his hand over his head. A rough texture sitting where his black hair should have been. They felt like bandages.

_Why am I here? How long have I been out? And for that matter, who am I?_

His dark brown eyes took in the room, hoping the answers were written somewhere. Luckily, one of them popped into in his mind, clear as day.

_Oh right, Takeo. I'm…Takeo._

His brow furrowed as his brain attempted to remember more. "Takeo…Kase? Or was it Takash? Maybe it was Keto?"

A clipboard hanging off a heart monitor to his left caught his attention. Takeo reached out, ignoring the shooting pain running up and down his arm, and grabbed it by two fingers, holding it close enough to read.

"Takeo…Kato. Close enough." He muttered. "Now for the big question…why am I here?"

Another wave of exhaustion caught him off guard. Takeo relinquished his hold on the clipboard, letting his arm flop to the side . This time his lack of energy overpowered him, taking him into a deep sleep.

Bits and pieces of something flooded his mind, but none of it made any sense to him. Soon enough, those disappeared as well, leaving him in a void of dreamless slumber.


	2. Fog: Chapter 2: The New Student

**Hello peeps and peepettes of the internet. Thought I'd work extra hard to get this out as fast as possible and here it is. Enjoy!**

**John Thomas: And a decent OC I will try to make.**

**MyLifeForAiur: Hopefully this on turns out better in that regard, huh?  
**

**CommanderYognaught: Well wait no more, here's that new chapter.**

**Anonymous: Wow, I'm flattered. I always respected 4LS for their writing. Cheers indeed. **

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Chapter 2: The New Student

Hisao stared blankly at the board in front of him. Normally, he'd make an effort to listen to Mutou's lectures. But after spending the three day weekend in Hokkaido, his brain was still in hibernation even after a few school days had passed. Hisao would often catch himself reading the same equation over and over again, reading the problem without actually understanding it. Mutou had knack for boring most of the class; today even more so as he droned on about his lesson in harmonic motion. The eraser of Hisao's pencil tapped against his wooden desk, making a steady beat that Mutou's words seemed to follow.

The memories from Hokkaido were still fresh in Hisao's mind. Rather than take a bullet train, Lilly and Hanako suggested riding one of the more traditional ones. Their travel time grew ten-fold but Hisao managed to find a way to kill time, either by playing cards with Hanako or reading one of the books he brought with him.

By the time they arrived, the sun just barely peeked over the horizon, washing the landscape with a comforting orange glow. After settling themselves in, Lilly gave Hisao and Hanako the only bedroom in the house, leaving the pull out sofa to herself. Hisao could remember Hanako's cheeks flushing into a deep red when she told them they'd be sharing a room. The memory brought an amused smirk to his lips.

As the days went by, they'd occasionally go into the nearby town to explore and shop. Hanako and Hisao would often spend time alone, either checking out some of the shops themselves or enjoying a lunch together. Hisao peeked out of the corner of his eye to see Hanako staring at her open textbook. A sparkle reflected off the partially concealed bracelet on her wrist. It was a simple silver chain design with various ornaments attached, but it meant the world to her when Hisao gave it to her as a gift.

A small object poked Hisao in the side. His attention snapped towards the source. The offending object, which turned out to be nothing more than a pencil, was held up by none other than Misha. A wide grin grew on her face as she slid him a note. Hisao gave her an accusing glare before unfolding the wrinkled piece of paper.

_Did you enjoy your weekend, Hicchan?_

Hisao arched an eyebrow in her direction. It felt like such a strange thing to ask in the middle of a lesson. Why couldn't she wait until the end of class? Regardless, Hisao wrote down his response and covertly slid it back on her desk.

_Yeah, it went by fine. Yours?_

Misha suppressed a giggle and energetically wrote something down, her tongue sticking out all the while. She carefully folded it up again and slid it towards Hisao.

_It was great! Shicchan and I had lots of fun! _

After jotting down his reply, Hisao returned the note, maintaining a vigilant lookout for Mutou.

_That's nice to hear._

Before Hisao could focus on the board again, Misha thrusted the note back in his face. This time, her happy, carefree expression turned into something resembling a forced imitation of Emi's puppy dog look. Unfortunately for Misha, her expression was…less than heart tugging

_But we need your help, Hicchan! Shicchan and I need to file a lot of paper work, including the forms for a new student! Isn't it exciting?! Remember when you transferred in, Hicchan?_

Hisao glanced at Misha, who was struggling to keep her puppy dog look as genuine as possible. So that was what she wanted.

_So you want me to file the paperwork for you while you show the new student around?_

_Yup! Please, Hicchan? You wouldn't leave two cute girls at the mercy of paperwork, would you?_

Hisao took another glance at Misha than at her mute counterpart. Shizune kept her attention straight ahead, her eyes peering over the rims of her glasses. Hisao had no doubt in his mind that the class president put Misha up to this. It was just another ploy to get him to spend more time with them.

_I can't Misha. I have some things I need to take care of. Maybe I can help you guys another time?_

Misha's expression turned genuinely sad before the familiar smirk resurfaced. She hastily scribbled on the paper before returning it.

_Do you mean a girl? Naughty Hicchan!_

Hisao face palmed. He could swear that his red cheeks would be visible if not for his hand covering his visage. He shook his head with an exasperated sigh and wrote down a reply with a dramatic swoop of his hand.

_It's personal, Misha. Could you just keep it between us?_

Misha giggled. It was obvious it took all of her restraint not to burst out in her trademark laughter.

_Awww, okay Hicchan. But don't think you're off the hook yet!_

Hisao grumbled something under his breath. If Shizune and Misha had one talent, it'd be their ability to interrogate someone mercilessly; sometimes without even trying. One way or another, they would find out about Hanako and him. Hisao only hoped that he could avoid it for as long as possible.

With their conversation dried up, Hisao redirected himself towards the board. Mutou didn't notice their brief exchange and droned on about various applications of the equation he had written on the board. Hisao already had a firm grasp on the material and just barely followed along as he stared blankly out the window.

…

Yamaku's grounds stood silent. Not a soul could be seen or heard in the impressive complex. At first glance, the building looked completely abandoned; and it unnerved Takeo to no end.

_Certainly not what I was expecting. At least the scenery is nice. Still think the doctor didn't have to send me here._

Takeo winced when he remembered he had no choice in the matter. His hand reached up and scratched the bandages that wrapped around his head. Some of them had been removed before he was discharged from the hospital, leaving a mound of his black hair exposed on the top of his head. His conversation with his doctor echoed in his mind.

"_Since we've been unable to find your parents or guardians, we've had to act accordingly. Until further notice, you will be classified as a ward of the state until your caretakers are found." The doctor told him in an emotionless tone. Takeo shook his head._

"_You have my name, right? Can't you just use that?"_

"_Yes we've been able to 'identify' you," the doctor said while making air quotations, "but that's only because of a scrap of paper we found in your pocket when you were recovered. The only thing written on it was your name. But so far, we haven't found anyone that could be your parents."_

Takeo's hand absently fished into his pocket and pulled out the torn paper in question. Just like the doctor said, his name was the only thing written on it. The top edge was torn, making Takeo wonder if it was part of a larger writing, and dots of dried blood were stained on it.

_"So what happened to me?" he asked after sitting up. Over the course of a few days, Takeo could feel his strength slowly returning to him, but he hadn't gathered enough to walk around. The doctor looked over his charts before answering._

"_According to eye witnesses, you were walking down the street when a car ran into you. You suffered severe brain trauma, which is the cause of the retrograde amnesia you have right now. I believe that until you regain your memory, we won't be able to find any concrete evidence about your life before your accident. So, I've decided that until you do, you'll be transferred to a facility where people with your…specific needs are catered to."_

Takeo passed through the wrought iron gates and stepped into the courtyard. The smooth rustling of the trees that dotted the campus welcomed his entrance. As he wandered around the courtyard, Takeo pulled out another piece of paper, a signed order for a number of prescription medicines. The revelation of his injury and subsequent memory loss were hard enough. Finding out about the main reason for his transfer into Yamaku was even worse.

"_My…needs? What do you mean? I just got a little bruise on my head; I don't think that needs special treatment, right?" Takeo asked. Despite his cavalier attitude, he felt a kernel of fear sprouting in his heart. None of it felt right. _

_The doctor shook his head and told him in a stern tone, "I'm the doctor here, Mr. Kato. And the reasoning for sending you to a specialized building goes farther than the 'little bruise' on your head."_

_The man ran a hand over his greying hair; his baggy eyes scanned the contents of the clipboard in his hand as he spoke, "Takeo, you may have been aware of this since before your accident. We ran some tests and found a massive spike in your body's cellular degeneration. We ran some more tests to confirm our findings and diagnosed a potentially fatal condition if it's not treated. Basically, your immune system can't tell the difference between actual bacteria and living tissue. Your white blood cells are attacking your organs."_

Takeo shuddered when the doctor's voice replayed everything in his mind. He was sick. His body was literally trying to destroy itself. What made it worse was the absence of a cure. Correcting his immune system wasn't possible, so the doctors had no choice but to prescribe him medicine to suppress it. Of course, once his immune system was weaker, he would be more at risk from things as simple as the common cold. Either his immune system would kill him or a fever would. Both were equally morbid ends. As far as Takeo was concerned, the thing that saved everyone else was making a special effort to kill him and there was nothing he could do about it.

"…_this has to be a joke. How can that exist? There's…there's no way…"_

"_Unfortunately it is," The man said softly, "you have Auto-Immune disease. There's no cure, but we have medication that will keep it in check. That's why we're sending you to a school that is appropriately outfitted for someone such as yourself , Yamaku Academy. There's a 24 hour nursing staff, a dorm building for you to live in, and every accommodation for the physically disabled is met. It's an ideal place for you until we find your parents or until your memory is restored."_

After the doctor's explanation, Takeo hardly put up any resistance to the idea. As much as he didn't like being put in a hospital masquerading as a school, he didn't have much choice. The best he could hope for was a quick recovery so that he didn't have to deal with what appeared to be a old fashioned campus, complete with red brick and black fences.

He came to a stop at the school's front door. The doctor told him that someone would be waiting for him, no doubt a teacher or nurse that will show him around before escorting him to his hospital bed. Takeo opened the door and took one step inside, freezing on the spot. A lone girl stood in the lobby, twirling a finger in her long, brown hair. Her other hand was lightly tugging one of the twin braided locks of hair on either side of her cute face. When she caught sight of him standing in the doorway, she smiled and came towards him with energetic steps.

"Hey there! You're the new guy, right?" Takeo opened his mouth to reply but was promptly cut off, "Asami Sasaki's the name. I'm your class representative. I was asked to show you around before taking you to class."

Asami held out her hand which Takeo promptly shook. He couldn't help but notice that Asami looked normal for someone who was attending a school for the physically disabled. A wave of relief washed over him, but he felt a little guilty about his earlier preconceptions.

_It's okay, just stop thinking like that. You're in the same boat as everybody else now._

Still, Takeo couldn't deny his curiosity. Asami had no obvious disabilities. It made him wonder if her problem was internal like his. However, Asami continued talking, removing any chance of him being able to ask, "Although, by the time I'm supposed to take you to our little family, classes will be over for the day. If the president had told me a little sooner things could have been different, but we'll work with what we got."

Takeo rubbed the back of his head and shrugged, "I guess. So…this is an actual school?"

Asami looked at him like as if she had heard the question plenty of times before. "Well yeah. Yamaku is pretty much like any other school. We have tests, projects, and boring lectures just like any other one would. Sorry to disappoint," she said with a coy grin.

"At least I'll be able to get a decent amount of sleep then." Takeo said. Asami snickered.

"That's the spirit. You'll fit in class 3-6 like a glove." Asami looked at her watch and began making a hissing noise. Takeo was about to ask her what was wrong before she grabbed the cuff of his shirt and tugged him out of the lobby.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"The president, or more specifically her foghorn of an interpreter, told me to at least take you to the nurse's office before classes were over. Something about your medications," Asami shoved the front door open and pulled Takeo back into the daylight.

"Sounds like you have something against the president. She's not that bad…is she?" Takeo said. Asami sighed and took a sharp right towards another building that very much resembled the main campus.

"She rides us constantly. I swear, sometimes I feel like giving up my class rep duties. It doesn't help that we have to talk through her interpreter too. If you do, it's a miracle you don't end up like the person she's interpreting for." Asami looked over her shoulder and smirked again, "The president is deaf by the way. I probably should have said that sooner."

Asami pulled Takeo inside the auxiliary building. The inside looked much more modern than the 19th century architecture suggested. Asami stopped at a white door to her left and pointed towards it, "This is the nurse's pad. He's a pretty cool guy. Professional, but laid back. You'll like him."

A bell rings out from outside, signaling the end of classes. Asami slapped herself on the forehead and gasped, "Oh boy, I totally need to get back to class. I'll catch up with you later then. See in class tomorrow!"

Before Takeo could get a word out, Asami bolted past him and straight out the door. He was left standing motionless for a few seconds before coming back to his senses. He brought up his fist and knocked lightly on the door. A muffled 'come in' emanated from the other side.

Takeo lightly pushed back the door and was greeted with the wafting odor of hand sanitizer mixed with other things he couldn't describe in any way other than 'cleanliness'. The nurse was sitting in his chair, turning towards him as he entered.

"Hello. I uh…I was told to come here."

The nurse responded to his muttered statement with a sly grin, "Ah, so you're the new guy. Takeo Kato, wasn't it? Just got your file in the morning. Auto-Immune disorder, not something typical here in Yamaku, but it's nothingwe can't handle, right?"

Takeo shrugged and pulled the doctor's prescription, holding it out to him, "I was told to give this to you."

The nurse took it and scanned over its contents, making a few humming noises along the way. Meanwhile, Takeo took a look at the Nurse's office. It looked like a piece of the hospital followed Takeo all the way to the school, the only exceptions being the nutritional posters hanging on the wall and the nurse's desk which was riddled with countless forms and folders.

"Yes, your prescription. This is a formality mostly. All your medicine is already in your dorm along with some extra uniforms and the textbooks you'll need. The room's 118." The Nurse said, "Now, since your immune system's the problem, you're going to need to have to eat plenty of vitamins so that you can stay as healthy as possible. So you be sure to have a diet that consists largely of fruits, apples and such. Also keep some basic medicines for anything ranging from the sniffles to a fever. We don't want to medicate you on anything smaller than that."

The nurse's expression suddenly turned stern, catching Takeo off-guard, "Be sure to get plenty of rest. Sleep deprivation can decline your immune system. Couple that with your medication and you're in trouble. Don't over-exert yourself either. Too much exercise will tax your immune response as well."

"That's…quite a lot to work on." Takeo admitted. The nurse's stern face evaporated, replaced by his earlier ear to ear grin.

"Welcome to my world, Takeo. So long as you take your medication and stay healthy, you should be fine." The nurse cracked one eye wider, adding, "By the way, if you need anything you can always ring us up. You can call me by my name or 'The Nurse', whichever strikes you."

Takeo was going to use his name to be polite but noted the lack of a name tag on his coat.

_Well I guess I know what I'm calling him now._

"Alright then. I guess I'll head to my dorm. Thanks for the help." Takeo said.

"See you around, Takeo."

Takeo gave him a polite bow before showing himself out. He stood in the middle of the hallway outside, looking up and down the corridor. There wasn't a soul to be seen.

_Maybe I should head to my dorm. Room 118, right?_

Takeo exited the building out into the courtyard. A gentle rustling could be heard in the campus as students migrated towards their dorms. Takeo, having no idea where the dorms were, decided to follow the stream.

He felt a little out of place in the congregation of people. He noticed how a lot of the students looked like him and Asami, no distinct or obvious clue about what was their disability. It made him feel slightly more at ease. There were however, a few people who weren't given the same luck. Seeing it was jarring to him, but he tried to avoid giving them uncomfortable looks. Takeo stared down at the floor instead, keeping his eyes away from other people

_Just don't stare at them. You'll regret it if they get offended because you couldn't control yourself. Look at their feet, look at their feet, look at their feet…that guy's missing a foot._

Takeo cursed under his breath and lifted his chin. In truth, he felt a little hypocritical for turning his gaze from people who were just like him, boys and girls cheated by fate to live in a less than whole existence. The mere thought depressed him.

_On top of that, I have to deal with years of my life being ripped away from me._

Strangely enough, Takeo wasn't as distraught about losing his memory. He couldn't place his finger on why, but he felt it wasn't something he should worry about. His mind will decide when to bring it all back. Until then, he had to bide his time.

Two buildings similar to the main campus soon came into view. A number of students were hanging out around the entrances. Takeo had to assume it was the dorms, "Well, I guess some much needed relaxation is in order."

…

Hisao took a deep breath of fresh air. Fall was rapidly approaching. He had to admit that he'd miss the warm sunlight hitting him every time he stepped outside.

Hanako was by his side, standing inside the girl's dorm, "H-Hisao?"

"Yeah?"

Hanako inched closer to him and slid her hand in his. Despite her usual skittish nature when it came to physical contact, she found herself enjoying the small moments when she could hold hands with Hisao. She felt safe when he was nearby, at ease. Despite their rocky moments, she trusted Hisao implicitly, "W-would you like to come inside?"

Hisao gave her a soft smile and patted the top of the hand he was holding, "I'd love to Hanako, but I have a lot of homework to catch up on. Besides, we still have that date tomorrow, right?"

"R-right," Hanako released his hand and gave him a quick kiss. Hisao responded by giving her a quick peck on the forehead, prompting a giggle from his girlfriend, "S-see you later."

"Yeah, see you."

The two went their separate ways. Hisao ran his fingers over his lips, the lingering warmth of Hanako's kiss following him. For all her attempts at staying hidden and unseen, Hanako knew how to make a lasting impression. Hisao quickly crossed the space between the female and male dorms and went inside. He didn't take more than two steps before he heard the familiar and unpleasant sound of Kenji rambling.

_Ugh, is he bothering other people now?_

Hisao quickened his pace to his room until he came face to face with an astonishing sight. Hisao had to make a double take to confirm what he saw. Kenji was indeed shouting at someone else and that someone else turned out to be someone familiar. Hisao recognized him as the same person who bumped into Hanako on their way out the airport.

_How did he get from bumping into Hanako to coming here? Was he a student too?_

Regardless, it was obvious from the sight that the boy had no idea what to do. Kenji could only be reasoned with at the best of times. From his theatrical stance and adamant arm motions, Hisao could tell it was the exact opposite. He decided to help him out, even if the boy did stare at Hanako, no one deserved the verbal insanity that Kenji gave on a regular basis.

"Listen here, and listen well. What I'm going to reveal to you is going to rock your world. It's going to blow your mind!" Kenji exclaimed. Takeo frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head all the while.

"No, no I don't want my mind blown. It's gone through enough in case you haven't noticed," Takeo pointed at the bandages wrapped around his head.

_What am I saying? He's got the thickest glasses I've ever seen._

"You're scared, I understand that. The threat scares a lot of good men. So much that they don't want to admit the truth. We need to stick together, bro. It's us against them. Before you know it, they'll be sneaking behind you and then we're all doomed. Men will be treated as slaves, forced to do all kinds of girly crap for their amusement. You can help me build my fort, man. We need to make it big, impenetrable. There may be a day where they try to enact a siege, but we'll be ready, bro. We'll be ready."

Takeo rubbed his temples and sighed. He tried making it as clear as possible, but this guy wasn't taking no for an answer, "No, I don't want to make a fort with you. I don't even know how to make a fort."

"Hey Kenji."

Takeo and Kenji both turned towards the voice, almost bumping heads in the process. Hisao came up to both of them, giving Takeo a once over. He wore the boy's school uniform, opting to button up the green jacket all the way. But what caught Hisao's attention were the bandages wrapped around his head.

_That wasn't there when he brushed into Hanako. That's got to be recent. So why is he here?_

"Sup? I was just recruiting another man to fight those damn feminists. We three shall be the vigilant guardians, protecting all that is masculine from those witches," Kenji declared. Takeo gave Hisao a pleading look that could only be described as 'help me'.

"Listen Kenji, I recruited him a while ago. He just came back from a serious recon mission. I almost couldn't believe he made it out alive. He's a brave man," Hisao patted Takeo on the shoulder for emphasis, "You need some rest. Be sure to give me a report later."

"Good man, good man. You took control, Hisao. I respect that. You too, guy. I bet you went through a lot of epic shit. We should hang out later. We need to plan our next step. Later dudes." Kenji rotated on his heels and slammed the door shut behind him. Takeo breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his savior.

"I owe you one. That guy just ambushed me outside my door." He said with a genuine smile. Hisao pondered for a moment. He wondered if he could find out what this guy was doing here. Kenji and he were the only ones living in their hall. That meant this person was definitely new.

"Don't mention it. Who are you anyways? Nobody else lived here besides me and Kenji." He asked. Takeo held out his hand.

"Takeo Kato. I just transferred in." Hisao took his hand and gave it a firm shake, his inquisitive face staying still.

"Yeah, Hisao Nakai, um…," Hisao briefly entertained the thought of asking Takeo a straightforward question, but decided against it. If Takeo was anything like him when he first came to Yamaku, he may not be entirely comfortable with whatever was the cause of his admission to the school, "So…do you recognize me?"

Takeo furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side like a curious toddler, "No, am I supposed to? Did I see you in the hall? I accidentally stared at you, didn't I? Sorry, I'm trying to work on that."

The rapid fire questions and his sudden nervousness caught Hisao off-guard. For a second, Hisao was reminded of Yuuko before waving his hand, "No, no. Not today, a few days ago. You bumped into someone?"

Takeo scratched the side of his head, shifting his bandages with the constant motion, "Umm…no. Doesn't ring a bell. Was it at the hospital?"

"No, in the street. You bumped into a girl, she," Hisao took a deep breath. He didn't like identifying people by their disabilities, especially not his own girlfriend, but it was the only way for Takeo to remember who he was talking about, "she had burn scars on her face."

A lull cut between them. Takeo scratched his head again, probably a common reaction for him. Soon enough, his eyes lit up just like Hisao hoped, "Oh…no. Still nothing, sorry."

"Really? You don't remember? It was before last weekend," Hisao said. Takeo's eyes lit up again, except they were now accompanied by an agape mouth.

"Well there's the problem. I kinda…don't remember anything before the weekend. I got a bump on my head from an accident, that's what the doctors tell me at least. Yeah, everything's foggy around that time. It's a wonder I still remember my own name," Takeo stared down at his deep green jacket and muttered something Hisao couldn't catch.

"What about your parents? Wouldn't they bring you up to speed?" Hisao suggested. Takeo's brown eyes looked up at him, but the rest of him stood still.

"It'd make things easier. But obviously fate has a sworn vendetta against easy. I have no idea where my parents are. Neither does the hospital. They could be on the other side of the country for all I know. Maybe I was on a trip here and this happened," Takeo pointed at his injury, "I don't really have a choice in coming here. I'm by myself in some strange part of the world, no idea what happened, and no relatives to speak of. Until I remember, I have to live in this school as a ward and go along with whatever goes on here. And on top of all that, I have-"

Takeo stopped and suddenly stared longingly at his room's door. His sentence was left hanging in the air, leaving Hisao wondering what he was going to say. Takeo's lips tightened as he grasped the door handle, "I need to go. I'll…yeah."

Takeo marched into his room and shut it behind him in less than a second. Leaving Hisao dumbfounded in the hall. Takeo's mood swung from sociable to solitary at the blink of an eye. Whatever he was fixing to say obviously had a large effect on him.

Hisao shrugged despite being the only person around and went back to his own dorm. The first thing that caught his attention being the letter Iwanako sent him long ago. He already decided to not respond. His past wasn't left in any ambiguity; Iwanako's letter made sure of that. Despite the times he reminisced about his life before Yamaku, he knew the life he was leading now would be infinitely better than the one before. He had a future, he had reliable friends, and he had a love life; three things that he held dear.

From the letter, Hisao's gaze fell on his textbook. He wasn't lying when he said he had a lot of homework to do. With a reluctant step, Hisao stopped at his desk and flipped the textbook open. He had a long night ahead of him.

…

Takeo stared at the suitcase at the foot of his bed, then at the bottles of medication sitting on his nightstand. In total, there were about three plastic containers sitting next to a neat stack of textbooks ranging from math to history. Takeo grimaced. He hadn't thought about the actual educational aspect of the school. His hand reached out to the book on the top of the stack.

_Mathematical Theory and Applications_

"I don't think I remember a shred of math," Takeo muttered to himself. Regardless, he popped open the book and scanned through it, hoping to find anything that struck a chord in his mind.

"Tan A minus B equals...something."

...

"Yeah, I'm done for."

Takeo tossed book aside and fell backwards on his bed. Somehow he got the feeling that math wasn't his forte even before he lost his memory. His entire vision filled with the beige ceiling. His mind wandered back to his conversation with Hisao. He seemed like a well-rounded person; or at the very least, he wasn't as insane as his next door neighbor. However, he didn't feel entirely comfortable talking about his disorder with him when he almost blurted it out. It was a personal thing he had to deal with, as was his memory crisis. Takeo had told Hisao more than enough about his problems; he didn't need to know his entire life story.

_Funny, considering I wouldn't be able to remember it anyways. _Takeo joked morbidly. Thinking back, he probably could have explained his reluctance to explain his disability, but there was no changing it now. He just had to take it as it came.

Takeo peered through the window in front of his bed. It showed a perfect view of the woods near the school. The lush canopy seemed to cover the ground in a sea of green, leaving only the sky out of its clutches. Takeo allowed himself to snicker when he glanced around the room. In a way it reminded him of his life, empty with not a lot going on and shelves missing things that would fulfill their purpose.

"Guess I'll be joking about my situation from now on." Takeo said. He re-oriented himself so that he lay along the length of the bed and closed his eyes. Night was still hours away but he was content to just sit in his room and wait out the rest of the day. The suitcase called to his attention from its spot on the bed. Takeo sat up and opened it, revealing a combination of school uniforms and basic living necessities.

_A perk to being ward of the state, I bet._

Among the folded and pressed articles of clothing were a set of casual clothes. Takeo recognized it. It was the clothes he was wearing before he had his incident. Takeo reached inside and pulled out a black zip up hoodie. It looked worn and faded, but Takeo drew some kind of comfort from it. He ran his fingers along the soft cotton fibers, eventually coming to rest inside the pockets. A soft crinkle interrupted the silence of the room. It felt like paper.

Takeo pulled out the object and unfolded it. He stared at the item in his hand, losing all sense of time. His hand trembled slightly as he stared at a picture of him and a young boy. Both of them were smiling and looked like they were in a carnival of sorts. Takeo kept a hand on the young boy's head, ruffling his hair. The picture practically virtually radiated happiness, but Takeo only felt unease. He couldn't remember who the boy was, but for some reason, he didn't want to look at him anymore. He folded up the paper and tossed it at his night stand, coming to rest near his medication.

Not a word left his mouth. Not a sound entered his room. It stayed that way until Takeo fell asleep with his head leaning against the wall, facing the silver moon that hung motionless in the deep, dark night.


	3. Fog: Chapter 3: Growing Close

**Hello, good people. Sorry for the delay, maybe a bigger chapter will make up for it? Enjoy!**

**Anonymous: I'll certainly try. But real life...it beckons. Must resist.**

**Cyberchao X: Indeed, two for the price of one. For when it's just not enough.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Growing Close

Hisao's pencil danced along his paper, putting the finishing touches on his group assignment. The murmurs of his classmates' chatter were a faint whisper as he concentrated on his work. Beside him, Hanako kept her eyes firmly planted on the paper, trying her hardest not to attract any undue attention. Thankfully, Mutou's leniency to Hanako's sporadic absences extended to allowing her and Hisao to work together without a third partner.

"You all finished?" Hisao asked her. Hanako tore herself away from her paper, responding with a slow nod.

"Y-yes," Hanako replied. Hisao couldn't help but peek at her worksheet, a small, proud smile growing on his face. He began to notice how much more effort Hanako put into her schoolwork. There were even a few moments where she came up with the answer before he did. Contrary to what the others may think, underneath her skittish exterior was a bright and sharp mind, and Hisao was ecstatic that it was finally breaking through.

The clamorous ringing of the bell tore the class' silence to pieces. Mutou looked up from the papers he was grading, "If you didn't finish the problems, I expect them by the end of the day. Otherwise, hand them in."

Hisao and Hanako both rose from their seats and slipped their papers on his desk. Mutou gave each of them a firm nod with, curiously, a crooked smile. The two retreated to their seats and gathered their belongings as the rest of the class emptied out into the halls. The only ones left in the room were the student council, who were busying themselves by chatting with another classmate. Hisao, not wanting to risk an interrogation from the duo, led Hanako out of the room before they could get the chance.

The overflow of students had lessened to a slightly more manageable state. A few stragglers and groups still dotted the corridors, but most had gone to the cafeteria or some other location to spend their lunch time.

Together, Hisao and Hanako navigated the halls towards the classroom they often visited. Lilly would have already made her way there by the time they reached it. After turning the corner, Hisao came to an immediate halt, grabbing Hanako's hand to stop her from continuing. She turned to face him, unaware of why he stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. Hisao stared straight ahead at the lone figure standing in the middle of the large hall. He didn't expect to see Takeo so soon after how their conversation ended on a low note.

Takeo didn't seem to notice their presence. He aimlessly shambled through the halls, going to turn one corner before hesitating and going back the other way. Hisao didn't know whether to talk to him or keep moving for fear of another abrupt, awkward moment. Before he could come to a conclusion, however, Hanako broke his train of thought, "I-Is that…Isn't that the boy from the airport?"

Hisao sighed. He waited for a few more seconds before walking towards the wayward student, pulling Hanako the entire way. What he was about to do was nothing short of a gamble, but his inner voice told him to at least try, "Yeah, it is. Why don't we go talk to him? I met him yesterday; he seems like a nice guy."

Hanako's eyes widened. Hisao could feel the muscles tense in her body as he practically dragged her, "I-I don't know, Hisao. Last time we saw each other d-didn't go over so well."

"Trust me, I think you're more hung up about it than he is." Hisao offered her a comforting smile, loosening his grip on her hand as he spoke, "If you don't want to, then that's fine. We're keeping Lilly waiting anyways. I just thought that we could be hospitable to a new student."

Hisao kept quiet to wait for her reply. Hanako bit her lower lip while mulling things over in her head. She peeked over Hisao's shoulder to look at Takeo again, who was still looking in every direction besides their own. She took notice of the bandages on his head and shuddered. They reminded of when she herself had to wear those, but she quickly shoved those thought aside, refocusing herself on Takeo. He appeared to be lost. The fact that hardly a soul was around seemed to back up that observation.

Hanako weighed the options carefully. Her instincts told her to say 'no', to avoid Takeo for fear of history repeating itself. It was the response she always fell back to during times like these. Even now, after coming so far from the nervous wreck she used to be, she still felt the urge to stick to the people she knew. Her previous encounter with Takeo proved that other people would still stare at her, no matter how many friends she made.

On the other hand, both Lilly and Hisao always suggested to Hanako to expand her borders. She couldn't deny that the idea of having another friend join what she considered her only family was appealing. In the long run, it'd certainly be healthier. And this way, it'd be her turn to help someone else for a change.

In the end, Hanako gave an anxious nod. Hisao patted her on the shoulder as they walked towards Takeo. Hisao stopped just short of running into him before tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hm?" Takeo looked over his shoulder.

"Hey Takeo, you alright?" Hisao asked. He fully turned to face him, looking a little disheveled. Even though he was dressed prim and proper in his uniform, the thousand yard stare in his eyes were hauntingly vacant. Regardless, Takeo gave a subdued shrug and a meek smile that disappeared the moment it arrived.

"I'm doing better at least," Hisao knew almost automatically that it wasn't the case. Takeo looked absolutely bleak. Like a plastic flower in a barren wasteland, the words in Takeo's empty dismissal were only made to redirect from the bigger problem. But it wasn't Hisao's place to try and fix his problems. He learned that lesson well after his painful reconciliation with Hanako, "Sorry about bailing on you yesterday. I'm still trying to get used to all this. And…I'm not entirely comfortable talking about my disability if it's alright with you."

"Don't worry about it. Truth be told, I was like that too when I first came here." Hisao replied. Takeo's former smirk returned for a second longer.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one. Is there something you wanted?" he asked. Hisao suddenly became aware of Hanako leaning against his back. Was she hiding behind him the entire time? Hisao suppressed a chuckle and took his attention back to Takeo.

"Yes actually. We saw you wandering around. You looked kinda lost so we thought you'd be interested in joining us for lunch." Hisao asked. Takeo looked over Hisao's shoulder at Hanako. The girl stood up straighter, trying her hardest to assert her confidence. She had to be strong. She had made it too far to slip back now.

The fringe of her hair flowed lazily as she nodded in agreement with Hisao's offer. Then her worst fear came true. Takeo stared at her in curiosity, his eyes narrowing slightly as he silently observed her. Hisao frowned. He could feel the tiny but terrible shivers crossing from her hand to his shoulder. He had become a support beam for her before he even knew it. Despite the relaxed calm Hisao exuded, Hanako still had trouble trying to stand up nothing but an analytical stare.

_Stand your ground, Hanako. Use the strength you always had._

He heard a faint gulping coming from behind him. Every nerve in his body wound up to impossible limits. His breath stayed still as he watched and waited. He threw his girlfriend into the deep end, but he knew deep down, she could do it. A few lengthy breaths reached his ear. The sound that followed worked in conjunction with her softening grip, "Um…we like to go to an empty classroom for lunch. We usually bring our own f-food too, but we…we can share if you don't h-have any."

Hisao watched in silent awe as Takeo stopped staring and redirected his gaze. It no longer loitered on the thing that used to define Hanako, but on Hanako herself; not on the physical nametag written on the body, but on the person the body belonged to.

Takeo said nothing at first. But Hisao could catch the faint red color on his cheeks. Takeo cleared his throat awkwardly, looking apologetic.

_For the love of…stop staring. You should be thankful she didn't slap you. You seriously deserve it at this point._

"I-I'd be honored to join you two. Thank you for bringing me along," He said in a failing effort to sound casual. The grip on Hisao's shoulder disappeared and migrated to his hand, cradling it tenderly; proudly.

"Good to hear. Come on, it's this way,"

Hisao led the way with Hanako standing by his side. Takeo moved to his other side, staying a few steps back. While they were retracing their steps, Hisao leaned towards Hanako and whispered, "You're an amazing person."

Hanako blushed and leaned closer into him, reveling in his warmth. She quickly planted a small peck on his cheek, "T-thank you. It felt good…getting to talk like that with a stranger."

Hanako stared down at the tiles, pondering for a moment before asking, "Why doesn't he remember me?"

Hisao wrapped an arm around her, "I think it's better if he told the story himself."

…

After a quick detour for Takeo to grab a drink from a vending machine, the three soon came to the unused classroom that had served as their refuge. Hisao could hear a metallic clinking coming from inside as he approached the door. His hand tentatively pressed against the door and pushed it open, revealing a brightly-lit room with a table set against the far wall. The sole occupant of the room stood off in the corner, brewing what looked like a modest sized pot of tea. Her blonde hair swayed lightly from the breeze gliding out the open window.

"Hey Lilly," Hisao said into the open room. Lilly perked up and turned towards the general direction of the voice, a small smile growing on her lips.

"Hello Hisao. I'm glad you could make it. Is Hanako with you?" she asked. Hanako walked out of Hisao's shadow and entered the room.

"I'm right here, Lilly," Hanako stopped just short of the table and set to work laying out the food she brought with her. Meanwhile, Takeo took a cautious step inside, unsure of what to make of their hangout and the girl still hovering over the tea.

"Splendid. Shall we settle ourselves then?" Lilly carefully wrapped her fingers around the edges of the plate the pot sat on. She took careful and measured steps before coming to a halt, delicately setting the pot in the center of the table as she spoke, "You two arrived late. I was worried I was being stood up."

Lilly gave a grin, signaling her jest. Hisao pulled out a chair for Hanako, patting her on the shoulder as she sat down, "Sorry about the wait, Lilly. We just ran into somebody on the way here."

Hisao motioned for Takeo to come closer. With an affirmative nod, Takeo cleared his throat, "Hey, I'm Takeo Kato. I just transferred in yesterday."

Lilly's eyes opened, turning their sapphire gaze towards Takeo's direction. She looked surprised for a moment before reverting back to her welcoming mannerisms, "Well I'm certainly open to more company. Would you care to take a seat?"

Takeo grabbed a nearby chair and sat down in the only available space, next to Lilly. A faint hiss escaped his throat as a dull throbbing ran up his side. Takeo hadn't slept well, and what little sleep he could catch was worsened by the fact that Takeo had fallen asleep with his entire upper body propped against the wall.

"Is everything alright?"

Takeo glanced to his side to see a concerned look written on Lilly's face, "Yeah, just getting over a sore back. I…didn't sleep so well last night."

For a moment, he looked back into her cloudy eyes. It didn't take him long to notice she was blind. If she hadn't kept her eyes closed when he first saw her, Takeo would have assumed she had an internal problem like him.

However, he was impressed with her soft-spoken demeanor and the calm air that seemed to radiate from her. Everything about her pointed towards the only word he could think to describe her: grace.

Lilly looked stayed deep in thought for a moment longer before resigning herself. A period of silence followed as food was spread around the table. Hanako held up the tea pot and poured a generous amount into each cup. Lilly nodded her appreciation to her before turning to Takeo, "Would you like a cup?"

"Ah, no thank you. I brought something for myself," Takeo popped open the compartment of the juice carton in his hand. A sweet, berry smell wafted from its opening as Takeo took a small sip. After dividing the tea evenly, sandwiches were passed around. Hanako held one out to Takeo, who took it graciously with a quiet 'thank you'.

"So would you care to tell us a little bit about yourself, Takeo?" Lilly piped up. Takeo stopped mid-chew and exchanged an awkward look with Hisao. He swallowed his mouthful of food before setting his sandwich down, scratching his head in that awkward habit of his. A low 'uhhhh' reverberated in his throat as he thought up an acceptable answer.

"Honestly, you guys know about as much as I do." He said with a forced chuckle. His response drew a curious look from both Hanako and Lilly. Takeo took another drink of his juice, sighing as he set it back down. Lilly clasped her hands together, hesitating slightly as she spoke.

"I'm…afraid I don't understand." Takeo tented his fingers. He took a deep breath of the fresh air coming in shorts breezes through the window. The stark scent of the summer air felt comforting to him.

"I should probably elaborate," he finally said. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. He spent the new few minutes recounting the events leading up to his attendance to Yamaku. His accident caused by the runaway car, his lost memory, and the lack of any idea where his family was were all explained in explicit detail. The others stayed silent as he spoke, preferring to wait until he finished speaking before offering their comments.

"I see. It must…be troubling to have to endure this," Lilly said. Takeo gave a polite laugh and brought the carton of juice up to his lips again.

"A little, yeah. I woke up this morning still thinking the entire thing was a dream, only to find my meds on the table and my head still wrapped up like a Christmas present. But I have to admit, I'm a little more concerned about what I'm supposed to be doing in a place like this. I'm…not well-versed in interacting with other people in regards to…you know," he said, taking another drink once he finished his sentence. His inexperience in dealing with the other students of Yamaku drew a smirk from Hisao. He remembered it wasn't such a long time ago when he felt the same way. There were plenty of moments where Hisao bumbled into one social landmine after another. But over time he learned the social norms and courtesies Yamaku expected when it came to interacting with the other students.

It was Lilly's turn to laugh. She beamed her impish smile, dismissing his musing, "Don't sell yourself so short. After all, you're talking to all of us normally."

"Well, you got me there," Takeo said with a halfhearted smirk, "But I still don't know how to assimilate myself in a place like this. It feels like I'm on a different planet…if that makes any sense. I think I'd be better off keeping my head down until my memory comes back."

"Maybe you can try and join a club? It could help you make some friends," Hisao suggested. Takeo shrugged, idly shaking the carton in his hand as he thought hard about Hisao's proposal, "It's what I tried to do when I came here. Didn't work out for me so much, but maybe you can find something that'll catch your interest."

_I'm starting to sound like Mutou._ Hisao thought.

"I guess that's a good a place to start as any. What kind of clubs are there around here?" he asked.

"There are quite a few. The book club is fairly popular, but I'm not sure if they're taking any new members. Is there anything specific you're interested in?" Lilly asked him.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I get the feeling that book club isn't really my thing. I'll check some other things out; hopefully I'll get interested in one of them. If not, well I could always hide in my room for the rest of the year," Takeo said, "Thanks for the advice, guys. "

"No problem. The least we can do for a new student, right?" Hisao said. Takeo smiled in return and diverted his attention back to his lunch, feeling a little better about his place in the school. It would take a while longer for him to feel fully comfortable in such a foreign place, but he could take solace in the fact that he was taking a step in the right direction.

"Oh, we spent a while trying to acclimate you, we didn't give proper introductions," Lilly raised her teacup, giving Takeo a polite nod, "Lilly Satou. Those two are Hisao Nakai and Hanako Ikezawa. I take it you three are well acquainted?"

"Something like that," Takeo said with an embarrassed look on his face. They're first impressions of him were of either him running out or staring at them. Neither came across as a well-reasoned way to know each other.

"Takeo is in the dorm across from me. That's where I met him," Hisao said.

"I see. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here, Takeo. Yamaku is a very tight-knit community. We take care of our own," Lilly said with a sweet smile.

The rest of the lunch period passed with bits of idle conversation between the four. For the most part, Takeo kept himself reserved; more for the sake of not having anything to add to the subject than any kind of shyness. Before any in-depth subject could take place, the lunch bell rang out across the school. After a quick farewell, everyone returned to their classes.

…

Hisao opened his closet and fished out the sweater vest lying within. School had ended a few hours ago and he didn't want to waste any time getting ready for his date with Hanako. A flush of orange permeated through his window, washing every inch of his room in the light of the departing sun. After taking a moment to dress himself, he gathered his phone and wallet and walked out the door; taking extra care not to tip off Kenji.

A slight breeze greeted him as he walked outside. A few students could be seen loitering around the courtyard in front of the school. Hisao entered the halls of the girl's dorm and made a beeline for Hanako's room. Hisao could hear the TV blaring loudly from the common room as he knocked lightly on her door. A faint shuffling noise could be heard through the wooden door before it opened slightly. A single violet eye stared back at him through the slim opening. It only took a second for Hanako to recognize him and smile.

"H-Hello Hisao," Hanako opened the door to its full ability and stepped back for him to come inside. Hisao took a few steps inside and closed the door behind him. Hanako wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a warm embrace

"You ready to go?" he asked. Hanako released her hold on him and grabbed the dark cap sitting on her bed.

"Ready." Hanako straightened her jacket and followed Hisao out of her room, a small smile glowing on her face, "So where are we going?"

"I figured we could go to the Shanghai for dinner. There shouldn't be a lot of people this time of day." Hisao replied. Admittedly, the Shanghai wasn't the most lavish or thrilling idea for a date, but the serene atmosphere would work well to ease them both into their new relationship. His hand reached out and took Hanako's, affectionately running a thumb over her hand. Together, they walked out of the girl dormitory and out into the street heading towards town.

"So...our first date," Hisao mumbled as they descended the steep hill. Hanako lifted the brim of her cap, letting the warm sunlight wash over her face.

"Y-yeah. I…I'm not really sure what to do." Hanako replied. She peered at Hisao through her fringe. She had never had a relationship before in her life. Were they supposed to act differently? Was she supposed to be doing something different with him? TV shows and the countless novels she read made it look so easy, but real life obviously played by a different set of rules.

"If it makes you feel better, neither do I. We're both just a couple of hopeless idiots, huh?" Hisao said with an amused chuckle. Hanako couldn't resist a giggle of her own.

"T-that's okay. Ignorance is bliss…right?"

"If that's the case, I wouldn't have it any other way," Hisao let go of Hanako's hand before wrapping an arm around her shoulder, giving her a tight squeeze,

Hanako could feel the rush of blood running to her cheeks. She never told him, but she loved the little gestures of affection he made. It always reminded her how close they'd grown. A few months ago she barely spoke to anyone outside of Lilly and Akira and would have bolted from the mere prospect of physical contact. Seeing herself walking to town with her boyfriend, huddled in his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world, brought an uplifting sense of pride.

By the time they reached the Shanghai, the sun drifted to the lowest point in the horizon. Streaks of orange were met with broad brushes of the night sky. An inviting light glowed from the Shanghai's windows as they pushed the front door open.

A small bell rang above them, signaling their arrival. The faint murmurs of the other patrons were accompanied by a frantic sound in the kitchen. A surprised yelp rang out from the back room before a disordered Yuuko came scurrying out, her hair an unkempt mess. She looked worn down, no doubt from having to cater to the large amount of customers.

The librarian-turned-waitress tried to fix her hair while attending to her new guests, giving Hisao and Hanako a sharp bow as she did, "Welcome to the Shanghai. Please come with me so that you may be seated."

Yuuko hastily escorted them to a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Hisao and Hanako took their seats while Yuuko whipped out a notepad from her apron pocket.

"What would you like to order?" she said in her best attempt at professionalism; although the pen shaking in her hand was evident to her frayed nerves. Hisao and Hanako took a moment before ordering their meals. Yuuko took longer trying to jot down their orders, scratching out entire words as she did.

With another quick and practiced bow, Yuuko hurried back to the kitchen to prepare their meals, checking up on other customers on the way.

Hisao stared out the window. An occasional elderly couple or a lone pedestrian walked by them on their way home after a long day. Meanwhile, a few people in the booths around them noticed the time and showed themselves out, leaving their money on the table. A familiar quiet fell between him and Hanako. It was the one that accompanied them in the library and the tea room and many other places. It wasn't the least bit awkward. Even before their recent relationship upgrade, Hisao and Hanako spent a lot of time just enjoying each other's presence. Come to think of it, even though they were boyfriend and girlfriend now, the way they behaved around each other didn't change all that much.

Hisao heard a lengthy sigh coming from the person in front of him. Hanako was staring down at the tabletop, the brim of her cap covering her eyes.

"What's up?" Hisao asked her. A single amethyst eye stared back at him. Hanako rubbed her arm, averting her gaze towards anywhere except to Hisao.

"Ummm…I was just thinking…n-nevermind," She muttered. Hisao crossed his arms and leaned them against the table, a small, understanding smile on his face.

"You sure? Looks like you have something on your mind," He said. Hanako eyes fell back on him. Her gaze lingered on his brown eyes before another sigh escaped her lips. Her hand came up and removed her cap, setting it down on the table in front of her.

Hisao looked at Hanako, then the cap, then back at her. Hanako appeared to be lost in thought, her hands splayed out in front of her, drawing imaginary lines on the table top.

Hanako absently bit her lower lip. She couldn't be sure if bringing it up to Hisao right now would be the most appropriate thing to do. It was in the past and they had forgiven each other, but Hanako still held a lingering feeling of guilt for all the trouble she caused him. The last thing she wanted to do was bring it up again, during their first date no less.

Hanako steeled herself for her response but a clattering sound broke the silence before she could. Yuuko stepped carefully in front of their table, dropping their respective meals before them with an unceremonious rattle.

With nothing to add, Yuuko made another bow before running off. Hisao exchanged a glance between his food and Hanako before giving a small smile, "Well I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it."

Hanako slightly fidgeted in her seat, giving a timid nod in response. She stared down at her food, curry served with a slice of pork and rice. The sweet and tangy aroma wafted through the air, making her stomach growl. Without further ado, Hanako grabbed her utensils and dug in, not realizing how hungry she was until she took the first bite.

A comfortable silence returned as the two busied themselves with their dinner. Hisao took a bite out of a steamed piece of beef and stole a quick look at Hanako. She definitely piqued his interest, but he wasn't going to push his luck. If she had something she wanted to say, she'll tell him. Until then, he just had to respect her privacy.

"Hisao…?"

Hisao looked up from his massacred food. Hanako patted her mouth with a napkin and set it down, never once faltering from her blank expression, "C-can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Hisao said. Hanako opened her mouth but said nothing. Her cheeks were flushed as she stumbled over her words.

"Why are you…with me?" she asked. Hisao visibly flinched at the question. He wasn't expecting Hanako to be so straightforward with her question. Though it did give him some pause. For a brief moment, he was reminded of when Lilly asked why he chose to befriend her. But this question dug deeper than that. She wasn't asking about something platonic. She asked about something purely in a romantic sense.

Hisao said nothing. There were a bunch of little reasons why he wanted to be with her, too many for him to count, but would that be a good enough answer for her? Indeed, ever since they started their friendship, Hisao had been trying to understand her. The first time was almost disastrous, with Hisao almost ruining not just his chances of pursing her but also her friendship entirely. Ever since then he'd been cautious about how he viewed her. He still wasn't sure if his answer would be enough, but it was better than no answer at all.

"I…it's a lot reasons. There's not really one huge thing that I like about you. It's…all the little things about you and the little things we do together. They add up to be this wonderful thing I've never experienced before. And I…I want to keep it going," Hisao watched her intently for any response. Hanako's arms twitched slightly as she took it all in. She blushed heavily. She couldn't resist the smile that grew on her face, mirroring Hisao's own.

"Umm…thank you, Hisao. I…wasn't sure what to expect." Hanako said, still beaming from his answer.

"I guess I'm just full of surprises," Hisao replied with a knowing smirk. Hanako couldn't stop herself from giggling.

"I-I suppose so, but…" Hanako brought up a hand and put a piece of beef in her mouth, "so am I."

Hisao smiled again before noticing what she meant. He looked down at his plate to find a piece of his meal missing. He looked back up to find Hanako giving him a triumphant grin.

"Clever," Hisao muttered in his best attempt to sound irritated, but the urge to snicker broke his illusion. Hanako blushed and joined him in his quiet laughter. Hanako reached out and squeezed his hand before returning to her meal. Hisao returned her squeeze and did the same. The silence returned as they finished their meals.

Hisao patted his stomach, staring at the empty plate sitting in front of him. A welcoming light shined off the tabletop from the lamps on the ceiling above, hinting at the sun's departure. Hisao checked his watch to see that it was almost ten o' clock. Meanwhile, Hanako dabbed herself with a napkin a content sigh escaping her lips, "Th-that was really good."

"Yeah, nice change of pace from the usual sandwiches," Hisao pulled out his wallet and skimmed over the bills sitting inside its leather folds. He spotted Yuuko collapsed in a chair near the kitchen, wiping her forehead with a piece of cloth. Once he caught her attention, he waved her over. Yuuko made a nervous laugh and hurried to their table.

"Yes? Is there anything else I can do for you? The food wasn't bad, was it?"

"No, no, it was very filling. How much do I owe you?" Hisao asked while pulling out a handful of yen. As Hisao and Yuuko exchanged a few words, Hanako glanced around the room, lost in her thoughts. Going on a trip to the town, having dinner with Hisao, and sharing a few tender moments was definitely something she wouldn't mind doing more often. There was something endearing about Hisao and her sharing something nobody else had. It made her feel special; something she never thought she'd know the feeling of. For a long time Hanako thought that she mattered to no one. A decade of ridicule had a way of making you believe all the harsh words ever uttered in your direction.

Their piercing words hurt more than sticks or stones ever could. Day after hopeless day would pass with rumors and slander being made fact not just in the latest gossip, but to her. Over the course of what felt like a night, she went from being a normal and accepted girl in society to being the school's horror story. Nothing felt worse than having your entire life being engulfed in flames in more ways than one.

When she came to Yamaku, she had hoped things would finally look up for her. A school where the students treated each other as equals and people sounded like a sanctuary to her. Kids who would treat each other with no difference because of their problems were what Yamaku prided itself on. And for the most part, it rang true. It just, no matter what, there would always be people staring. There would always be the ones talking about her, snickering and giggling at the jokes and teasing inspired by everything about her she wanted to hide. The only difference being that the kids at Yamaku had the courtesy to do it behind her back.

At least, that was how she used to feel. The past couple of months, ever since Hisao arrived, those things she took as fact seemed to crumble. The poison passed as the unshakeable and undisputed truth purged itself as Hanako spent more and more time with him. She rediscovered the sheer force of will buried beneath years of torment. Whether she would have found it anyway or never didn't matter to her. All that mattered was that she found it again through the support of those she cared about most; the two people who meant everything to her.

Hanako felt something nudge her shoulder. She looked away from the glass to see Hisao standing in front of her, holding his hand out to her, "Come on, it'd be rude of me to leave you here."

Hanako blushed and took his hand. Hisao lightly tugged her up to her feet. Hanako turned back and grabbed her cap, putting it back where it belonged. The warmth of the sun seemed to have disappeared as they stepped out, instead replaced by a stealthy chill. Hanako shivered from a heavy breeze, inadvertently pressing against Hisao as she tried to shelter herself from the cold.

A warm aura seemed to jump out from Hisao's body to hers. Hanako looked up at Hisao and smiled. The grimace as he endured the cold without a jacket was hard to miss, "You…should have brought a coat."

Hisao gave her a mock-hurt expression in response, "I can take a few weak breezes."

Hanako poked him in the gut, a small smirk on her lips, "Y-your sweater vest won't help you, Hisao."

Hisao puffed out his chest with a cocky smile, "It's what a sweater vest is made for. It's in its natural habitat."

Another windy gust hit them from behind. This time the shivers were unmistakable. Hanako placed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing at Hisao's expense, "S-see? I told you…"

Hisao visibly deflated at his loss. Hanako stared down at the pavement once her urge to laugh died down. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. The back and forth between Hisao and herself came naturally; so much so that she almost didn't notice it. Hanako took Hisao's hand and led him back towards Yamaku with a noticeable spring in her step.

The moon hung high over the sky by the time they reached the dorms. Not a soul could be seen in the still courtyard. The raucous noise from the bristling branches were their only welcome as they approached the girl's dorm. Hanako stop at the top of the small flight of stairs and turned back to Hisao.

"Th-thank you, I…really enjoyed myself," Hanako said with a genuine smile. Hisao returned her smile and nodded.

"I'm glad I could show you a good time. See you in class?"

"D-definitely," Hanako reached for the door handle. A sudden thought entered her mind when her fingertips grazed the freezing metal. She turned back to Hisao and met him at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes locked on him the entire time.

"Is there something wro-"

Hisao's question was left hanging in the air as Hanako gingerly took his hand in hers. Hanako never noticed how much she enjoyed physical contact until they started dating, but that wasn't the reason why she held onto him. She had come a long way, now she wanted to prove not only to Hisao but to herself how much she grew.

Hanako breathed deeply before reached up with her free hand and brushing aside her violet fringe. Hisao stayed silent, his eyes watching softly at her marred visage. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her entire face, recalling the…difficult night the two shared in her room, but it was the first time he'd seen it with a clear mind. His eyes fixed on her scars, taking in her exposed cheek and neck. Just like he remembered, her skin was stretched and tightly drawn. The pale red of her right cheek contrasted with her bright complexion.

Hanako brought up his hand and laid it on her bare cheek, keeping her hand over his. Hisao kept his face neutral as his finger ran along her cheek. He watched her intently for any sign of discomfort, but she kept her eyes on him, silently telling him to go on.

"Why did you decide to do this?" Hisao asked as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Hanako shuddered slightly but kept her composure.

"I…I've been thinking about…about us and…I want this," Hanako pointed at her face as she held Hisao's hand tighter, "to be something I could sh-share with you. O-only you."

Hisao ran his thumb over her cheek one last time before pulling away. Hanako brushed her hair forward, hiding her scarred half once more, "I've never shown a-anyone that part of me. Lilly had touched my face before, b-but only after we've known each other for a long time. I-I wanted for us to have something s-special between us. L-like when you showed me your scar."

Hisao said nothing at first. It made sense that she would have done the same with Lilly. Her blindness would have played a part in making Hanako more comfortable around her. Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and coax her into a gentle embrace.

They stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity; just sharing body warmth to fend off the night's cold air. Hisao finally unraveled himself from Hanako's grasp and kissed her on the forehead.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Hanako nodded and slowly walked backwards up the stairs.

"N-night."

"Night."

And with that, Hanako entered the girl's dorm. Hisao took a deep breath and headed the opposite way towards his own room. Being careful not to alert Kenji as he stepped inside and turned in for the night

…

Takeo tossed and turned in the dark of his room. His entire body moved in tandem, trying in vain to find a comfortable position. He sat up and ran a hand over his hair, his palm grazing the rough bandages on his head. Restless, Takeo crawled out of bed. His body shook as his bare skin hit the cold air. He was in nothing but a pair of pajama pants as he stopped in front of his window. He stared out wistfully at the rattling trees, his mind jumping from one thing to another.

The picture sat on his empty desk. Takeo had spent the better part of the day looking at it, trying to make some, if any, sense out of its story. His fingertips touched the glass pane. The freezing sensation ran up and down his hand before withdrawing it.

His mind a jumble of different thoughts, Takeo opened his closet and pulled out two shirts and a pair of dark jeans. Maybe a quick walk would clear his head. Takeo slipped on a red T-shirt and wore a white button-up shirt over it before putting on his jeans. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the black hoodie where he found the picture. He hesitated briefly before pulling it out as well, zipping it all the way up before grabbing the picture and sneaking out the door.

If some fresh air wouldn't clear his head, nothing would.


	4. Fog: Chapter 4: Zugzwang

**Hello everyone, sorry for the long wait. Took me awhile to finish but here it is. Enjoy!**

**Joonwoo: YOU GET MOAR!**

**potnoodle11: YOU GET MOAR!**

**JKF: YOU GET MOAR! **

**James Terrazen: YOU GET MOAR!**

**Guest: EVERYBODY GETS MOAR!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Zugzwang

The freezing air swept over Yamaku like an invisible blizzard, pushing the leaves of trees to and fro. Dots of light were scattered along the walls of Yamaku's dorm, no doubt a few students trying to sneak in a few extra hours of study or engaging in late night talks with their fellow roommates.

Despite the cold breeze washing over him, Takeo kept completely still. Curfew had started an hour ago, but he was content to stay where he was. The icy metal bench he sat on sent small, needle-like sensations over his body as he leaned back into the cold iron. The gusty wind rattled the picture in his hand, threatening to rip it out of his clutches.

The more Takeo stared at the photograph, the more questions popped into his mind. The kernel of unease still thrashed in his stomach but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint why.

Maybe the boy had run away or maybe they were related. Regardless of his theories, he couldn't have any concrete answers until his brain decided to hand them to him like a parent would to a confused toddler. A frustrated groan rang out from his throat. The doctors never told him an exact time when he could expect his memories to flood back and that only served to frustrate him even more.

He couldn't believe his luck. Before he stumbled across the picture in his hand, he kept a 'wait and see' approach to his memory predicament. A reason to worry about it never occurred to him so he didn't let it bother him. Now, as he stared at the two elated faces on the small picture, he felt like he was suddenly in a rush to claim everything that was lost to him. Takeo heaved a weary sigh and held his hands together. The edges of the picture stuck out from his palms as he dropped his head on top of his closed hands. A white mist flowed out of his mouth as he released a shaky breath. Despite the cold wrapping around him like an ironic blanket, biting every inch of exposed skin, Takeo felt no motivation to go back inside. The sole thing he could devote his attention to resided in his shivering hands.

Takeo looked down and stared at the picture once more. The faces stared back up at him, conveying a sense of happiness through every little detail. The bright neon lights, the flurry of colors, and the jovial faces of the two figures standing center stage all spoke a degree of delight. Anyone could look at it and be touched by the image. So why couldn't he?

Takeo shook his head, his hair whipping back and forth as he shoved the picture back into his pocket. His hands slid over his tired face as he looked up into the night sky. The photograph had been nothing but trouble the moment he saw it. He wished he could just forget it ever existed.

_Another knock on the head should fix that._ Takeo thought with a bitter laugh. A flash of resentment darted across his face before he cleared his head of any more thoughts. Maybe if he stopped thinking about it, all his problems would go away. Maybe he'd be better off _not_ knowing.

Instead, Takeo thought back to his studies. Class hadn't been as difficult as he thought. Most of the lectures were simple enough to understand and manage. As expected, most of the math concepts flew right over his head. It didn't help that he caught himself daydreaming more than once during the examples. His teacher, a middle aged woman by the name of Noriko Yamada, seemed to take just as much interest from it as he did. Although, he was pleasantly surprised when she spent a while trying to bring him up to speed as much as much as she could.

His mind jumped forward his gathering during lunch. The people he chatted with were friendly enough. He couldn't make heads or tails of whether he'd be able to join them on future breaks, but they were probably the closest he had to friends at the moment. The only other person he knew was Asami, yet she was more of an acquaintance to him at best.

Thinking back, Takeo had to admit that Hisao was an essentially good person. If it wasn't for his timely arrival, Takeo would have been sitting in the corner of the cafeteria with his back against the wall, looking out over the sociable masses. Now, he possibly had a clique he could hold onto if he didn't mess it up, which he seemed to have a habit of doing. Hanako didn't seem to mind his presence nor did Lilly.

A faint clacking sound grabbed his attention. Takeo swiveled to his left and saw a dark figure walking towards him, its head staring straight up into the sky. At first, Takeo thought the figure belonged to a nurse or a security guard out on patrol, but as the silhouette drew closer, Takeo could see it wasn't an adult at all.

A girl with short auburn hair walked at an awkward pace towards his direction. Her black tie swung freely with each step. Takeo never expected to see a girl wear a boy's uniform, but the reasoning soon became apparent as did the vacant and tied sleeves that swung back and forth.

Her chin tilted downwards, her eyes refocusing ahead and eventually falling on him as they stood a few feet apart. Takeo made a conscious effort not to revert back to his rude habit of staring. She didn't have any arms, but with his luck he wouldn't be surprised if she could kick his head off instead.

"Hello." She said. Her voice sounded completely devoid of feeling or interest. Takeo shifted awkwardly in his seat, trying to voice a response.

"Uhh…Hi? What are you doing out here so late?" he asked. The girl's eyes gawked at him. Or through him, it was difficult to tell with her murky green eyes.

"Clouds." She finally said. Takeo tilted his head to the side, trying to make sense of her response.

"Clouds?"

The girl pointed her chin up into the sky again. Takeo, without a reason to disobey, followed her silent request. True to her vague word, a sea of clouds overwhelmed the sky. The gray mottled forms covered the moon's silver light, blurring its brilliance.

"Yeah, clouds. So that's why you're out here?" Takeo asked, looking back down at the short-haired girl. Her lips pursed together as she gives a single nod. A period of silence followed before they both looked up into the sky at the same time.

"So…are you looking for animals or…?" Takeo let his sentence hang in the air. The girl kept still, her monotone voice was the only evidence that she heard him at all.

"I'm trying to find out what I came to find out. If I don't find out, I don't learn anything and wouldn't be out here," she said. A baffled silence entered between them. Takeo didn't know whether it was from her response or the completely nonchalant way she said it, but his brain couldn't even begin to muster up a proper answer.

"So…you're just out here for the sake of being out here?" he said finally. The girl regarded him with a blank face, apparently unamused by his shot-in-the-dark attempt at deciphering her words.

"Maybe. Clouds are like that. But they don't go inside if they want. They like it up there anyways," the girl's gaze shot back up into the sky before adding, "What if they could go inside? I bet they'd like it there too. Not like whenever they leave, then there's only the sky, but I can stare at that too."

The girl tore herself away from the skies with a knowing grin on her face, "I can stare at a lot of things. I'm good at that."

"Yeah, I'm…trying to work on that myself. Welcome to the club," Takeo muttered. The girl's eyes shot open in surprise, she takes a step back with her mouth open in what could only be described as 'overly-dramatic'.

"There's a staring club? Are you the president? You must stare at a lot of people to be elected," she said. Takeo feverishly shook his head, his hands up in the air as if the dispel any notion about such a thing being true.

"No, no, no, not that. I just have a problem with staring at people when I don't mean to," Takeo said rapidly. The girl's dramatic expression dropped like a rock, replaced by her emotionless, slightly bored one.

"Oh."

Another lull entered their scatterbrained and unique conversation. The girl's foggy eyes hovered from place to place before eventually settling on him, "Why are you here?"

Takeo tiled his head slightly before replying, "Just out for some fresh air. I couldn't sleep."

"No, why are you at the school. What's wrong with you?"

Her brazen question hit Takeo like a sledgehammer. Regardless of his reaction, her unending green eyes kept firmly still, expecting nothing short of an answer. Takeo wringed his hands nervously. He really wasn't comfortable talking about his disability to her; or anyone for that matter, "I…I'm not really sure if I'm comfortable with that."

The girl continued to look at him intently before another lopsided grin appeared, "Is your disability staring?"

Takeo couldn't help but chuckle slightly at that. Something told him that this mysterious girl was much more lax about life than he was. They made eye contact for a brief moment before he shrugged, "Might as well be. It's done me more harm than good anyways."

Takeo sighed and tented his fingers, thinking hard about her simple question. In the end, would it really matter if someone knew about his disability? Surely she must have been asked non-stop questions about how she lost her arms or some variation of 'how do you live without them?' throughout her life. But on the whole, explaining what was the tip of the iceberg that was his problems to her didn't seem like such a good idea. He couldn't tell Hisao about it, he felt even less a need to tell her.

"Look, no offense or anything, but I'm not entirely comfortable with talking about it. To be honest, I've yet to come to terms with it myself. So, I'm just not ready for it to be out in the open like that. My problems are my own. I…yeah." Takeo said. The girl stared at him for what felt like hours. Takeo half expected a disappointed response but instead, was given a firm nod.

"Okay," the girl said, "Want to know mine?"

"Umm…sure," Takeo said hesitantly. The girl smiled and began rotating her torso from left to right, letting her tied cotton sleeves flow against the ever-present wind. Takeo gave a faint smirk and nodded, "Yeah, I kinda figured that was the case."

The girl stopped and turned her attention to the girl's dorm, frowning slightly, "Going to bed. Emi is going to be mad, but oh well."

Takeo followed her gaze before asking, "I never got your name. I'm Takeo Kato."

"Tezuka Rin. You can call me Rin." She says before wandering towards the dorms. She came to a stop and looked over her shoulder, "Goodbye."

"Yeah, bye," Takeo replied. Once Rin resumed her slow pace, Takeo rose from the bench and headed back to his own room. It only took a few hours before sleep finally graced him.

…

Hisao silently observed one chess piece after another. The pieces glowed in the afternoon sun, almost distracting Hisao from the task at hand.

It was useless. Hanako had him right where she wanted him.

Hisao lifted a finger and toppled his king with a quick poke. Across from him, Hanako couldn't resist showing a prideful smile, "T-that makes it five."

"You're a real terror when it comes to chess, you know that?" Hisao joked. Hanako blushed.

"I-I'm not that great," she replied, her hand reaching up to her fringe as her blushing deepened. Hisao cleared the board and set it off to the side, taking a quick drink of coffee before speaking.

"No, really. I'm willing to bet you can beat anyone in school at chess. I bet you can even beat Shizune at this rate," Hisao said with a smirk. Hanako's blush deepened into a nearly crimson shade. She certainly wasn't used to so much praise and she couldn't help but smile at Hisao's kind words. She opened her mouth to offer a reply but heard the door open.

Both she and Hisao looked up to a rundown Takeo stumbling inside. He looked even more terrible than he did the day before. His jacket was unbuttoned and his tie hung undone around his shoulders. He spared two quick glances for each of them before shrugging.

"Uhh…you guys don't mind if I hang here again, right?" he asked. Hisao shook his head and motioned towards the unoccupied seat next to Hanako. Takeo nodded his thanks and sat down. Hanako visibly tensed up, but made an effort to try and relax. Takeo didn't notice as he sighed and hung his head.

And promptly dropped his head on the wooden table.

Hanako jumped slightly from the loud bang but quickly recomposed herself. Takeo didn't seem to pay mind to either of them as he took off his jacket and placed it over his head.

"Ow," said the meek voice inside the green fabric.

"Everything alright, Takeo?" Hisao asked. Takeo said nothing for a moment. Then he rose like a vampire coming out of his coffin and rubbed his forehead.

"Nope. I got a fever that's cooking my brain with the fury of a thousand suns," he said. In hindsight, going out into the cold after taking a series of immune-suppressants wasn't the greatest idea he ever had.

"You should go see the Nurse about that. He might have something for you," Hisao said. Takeo groaned and balled up his jacket on the table before dropping his head on it.

"Much better. And can't I just crawl back into bed and curse whatever god I can think of?" he asked.

"Not if you want that fever to go away. That's what the Nurse is there for, right?" Hisao said. Takeo shrugged.

"Sure, but I don't really like going to a doc's office unless I absolutely have to. Doctors and stuff like that…they just unnerve me to no end. I'll just stick this one out, thank you very much," Takeo said.

Hisao and Hanako exchanged shrugs. Takeo peeked over his arms, his dark brown eyes suddenly taking notice of the chessboard sitting between them.

"You guys playing chess?" he asked.

"Yeah, we just finished. Up for a round?" Hisao challenged. He could see some life return to Takeo's dull eyes as he smirked underneath his folded jacket.

"With you? You're on," he said. Takeo sat up and wiped the sweat from his brow, courtesy of the fever he tried his best to ignore. They both set up the pieces into their right places before Hisao made the first move. He advanced one of his pawns up two squares, already formulating a plan in his head. Hanako leaned forward, watching with passive interest.

Takeo briefly weighed his options. Each piece held some kind of advantage but he didn't want to squander them. Another moment passed before Takeo grabbed a pawn and moved it forward two squares.

The game passed in silence as Takeo and Hisao traded blows. More and more pieces fell as the game progressed; most of them belonged to Takeo. Hisao quickly realized that Takeo had no plan of attack, no foresight, instead he chose whatever felt appropriate for the now. He was too engrossed in the short term; a fatal error on his part.

Hisao easily exploited his playing style and turned the tides of the game. His rooks demolished Takeo's scattered line of defense and came ever closer to his king. Takeo chewed on his tongue. Most of his pieces were gone, leaving only a rook, two bishops, a handful of pawns and a knight to defend his king.

Hisao's queen sidestepped the bulk of his defense line, killing his last rook in the process. Takeo moved his bishop to cover his king. Hisao countered with knight, leaving Takeo's king open for attack.

Takeo scratched his head as he eyes jumped from one end of the board to the other. His pieces were scattered and his king had no easy means of escape. Any move he made would only make his position worse.

With a sigh of resignation, Takeo move one of his pawns forward. Hisao, knowing full well his next move, cornered his king.

"That's game," he said.

"Jeez, I'd say that it was because of my fever but that would be a pretty lame excuse," Takeo said. A small smile overcame him and he tied his tie.

"Maybe it's been a while since you've played. You might get better as you go along. I remember when Hanako and I first played before she started trashing me in every match," Hisao said, gaining a blush from the girl in question.

Takeo finished tying his tie and placed his folded forest green jacket in his lap, "Well, I'm glad to have helped you regain some of your pride. At least until she smashes it to pieces again."

Hanako's blush turned into a deep crimson. Her mind jumbled with words that she couldn't even begin to speak. Even if the right words came to her, she doubted she had the courage to give an appropriate snarky comment to them.

_Baby steps, _Hanako told herself. She felt comfortable enough around Hisao to talk normally with him and even exchange a joke or two with him, but it would take her some time to extend that same courtesy to Takeo.

"Where's Lilly? She not here today?" Takeo asked.

"She's running a little late. She said she needed to talk to her sister about something before leaving," Hisao answered as he began to put away the chess set.

"Huh, she has a sister?" Takeo asked. Hisao stood up and spoke as he went to put the game back in its proper place.

"Yeah, Akira. They're very close. Lilly relied on her for everything," Hisao said. Takeo pulled down on his tie before pivoting in his chair.

"I gotta give some respect to Lilly's sister. Must be tough taking care of her because of…you know," Takeo said.

"You don't have to be so careful about Lilly's blindness. She doesn't mind. It's just something she's gotten used to like all of us," Hisao replied. Takeo nodded in understanding. His eyes fell to the linoleum floor. His reflection stared back at him. He never realized just how much of a wreck he really looked. Though in his own defense, his appearance was the last thing on his mind.

Takeo checked his watch and frowned, "I should start heading back to class. Lunch is almost over."

Hisao glanced at his own watch before giving Takeo a bemused look, "It's Saturday. There are no classes after lunch."

Takeo ripped himself away from the floor, his mouth slightly agape, "Well I'm bored for the rest of the day. I guess I'll just head back to my room and hope Kenji doesn't try to give me another one of those brochures he's been slipping under my door."

"May I offer an alternative?"

All three turned to the door to see Lilly standing in the doorway, one hand holding her cane while the other had her bag wrapped around her shoulder. A large, impish smile was written on her face, clearly satisfied with her impeccable timing.

"Oh hey, Lilly. You have something planned?" Hisao asked.

"Indeed I do. I was thinking that we could head to the Shanghai. Yuuko should be on duty and there usually aren't many people there this time of day," she said as she fully entered the room.

"Well I'm all for it," Hisao said. Hanako slowly rose to from her chair and smiled gingerly.

"I'd like that too."

Takeo unfolded his jacket and slipped it back on, leaving the buttons undone, "Umm, I'd like to join to if that's alright."

Lilly smile grew wider, "Oh my, Takeo? Of course, you're always welcomed to join us."

Takeo buttoned up his jacket and joined the trio at the door. Together they descended down a few flight of stairs, idly chatting about school work or plans for the weekend.

"So do you guys just go home or…?" Takeo asked.

"Some students do. However, the three of us stay prefer to stay on campus and enjoy the quiet and each other's company," Lilly answered.

"Guess I'll do the same. Maybe I can use that time to find a hobby or something. I'm still a little fuzzy about what I used to do before I took that blow to the noggin. My brain doesn't pull any punches when it comes to deleting everything I ever did, it seems," Takeo said. Hisao slightly grimaced. Unlike himself or Hanako, Takeo seemed like the type to openly joke about his condition. He could only assume that it was just his own way of coping with it.

The four continued through the school's courtyard. Small groups of people hung out around this time. Hisao could recognize some of them from his class. Miki was sitting at one of the benches along with a girl whose light blue hair drifted over her sleeping face as it smushed against Miki's shoulder. She noticed Hisao and Hanako before grinning from ear to ear and giving him a thumbs up and a wink.

Hisao often wondered what exactly Miki's angle was. She appeared to have an interest in getting Hanako and him together, possibly for gossip material or some other hidden purpose he'd yet to discover. Either way, he was grateful that Miki seemed to approve their relationship.

"This place feels very…cut off from the rest of the world, like we aren't even on Earth anymore. It's like we have our own little slice of the world here away from everything. It's nice," Takeo noted.

"Eloquently put. Yamaku has a very tightly-knit community here. We are all willing to accept each other and help out when we can," Lilly replied.

"Yeah it certainly seems that way. Pretty much everyone I've met has been really friendly, even Kenji when he's not being…you know, Kenji."

The midday sun drifted languidly in the bright, blue sky. The summer heat overwhelmed them. Hanako pinched her blouse and rapidly moved it back and forth to cool herself down. Next to her, Hisao was reduced to quick, labored breaths. Hisao never thought as himself as a particularly active person, his failed attempts at running with Emi were proof of that. But he couldn't help but beat himself over the fact that something as simple as walking down a hill could reduce him to such a worn out mess.

He glanced over at Lilly and Takeo. Both of them looked to be taking the heat well. The only visible testament to the heat even affecting either of them at all was the slowly accumulating drops of sweat on Takeo's brow. Lilly, unsurprisingly, didn't let the uncomfortable heat affect her.

By the time they reached the Shanghai, Hisao was running out of breath. Takeo gave him an inquisitive look but said nothing as he entered the café along with Lilly and Hanako.

"Welcome to the Shanghai!" Yuuko said in her best effort to sound enthusiastic. "Please sit anywhere, I'll be there in just a moment."

Before anyone could say anything, Yuuko hurried off to another booth. She reached up and snatched a pen stabbed through her auburn hair despite the fact that she had another one in her apron pocket.

The four took up the booth the last time they were here, with Takeo and Hisao sitting across from Hanako and Lilly.

"This place is really quiet and relaxed too. Huh, I'm sensing a theme here," Takeo smirked.

"You should have been here a couple months earlier. There was a festival not long after I transferred in. The whole town came up to the school just to attend," Hisao said.

"A festival? For what?"

Hisao awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not really sure. Most people just show up for the food and games. I don't think anyone ever thought about why we do it in the first place."

"Well, hey, food and games? That's plenty enough reason for me," Takeo replied. He grabbed a napkin from the small plastic rack on the table and dabbed his forehead.

"Is it always so hot out here? I'd rather not have the sun backing up my fever. Traitor," Takeo muttered. Lilly frowned slightly.

"You're sick? Did you go to the Nurse's office?" she asked. Takeo shook his head.

"Don't need to. It'll blow over on its own. No medicine required. In the meantime, I'll just shake my fist at the sun for its betrayal," Takeo replied. Lilly furrowed her brow but said nothing. The look of concern on her face was evident. Takeo looked away and patted himself with the napkin in his hand, "Napkins are cool though. I like napkins better than the sun right now."

Takeo gathered a couple more napkins and laid them out in front of him, "You can dab away the sweat, you can write on them, you can wipe a mess on the table, you can clean your shirt of any stain. You can fold them and make origami…I think."

Takeo took one in his hand and tried folding it. His face changed in a range from mildly annoyed to solid persistence. Eventually he sighed and sent the wrinkled paper back on the ground, "Okay so maybe you can't make origami."

To his surprise, Lilly's hands roamed over the wooden table until grabbing one of the discarded napkins. With practiced ease she began folding and creasing the napkin without any sign of stopping. Everyone else watched with silent interest as an effigy began to take form in her hands.

Lilly held out her hands, displaying the crane for all to see. Takeo chuckled lightly as he examined the fine folds and shape, "Annnd I stand corrected."

Lilly grinned and held the paper crane out to Takeo, "Should you ever need a reference."

"Annnd there goes MY pride," Takeo joked. He carefully took the crane and inspected it from every angle. Every fold attested to Lilly's experience. It looked like it was handled with extreme care and time, like the ones Takeo used to fold with his little brother.

…

Every muscle in Takeo's body froze. He tightened his grip around the paper crane. No one else at the table noticed his tense posture.

Takeo turned to crane so that it faced him. It looked exactly like the origami he made with his brother. He could remember it, clear as day. It was almost evening, in their living room; just the two of them.

…

His fingers moved with incredible deft and purpose. The blue piece of paper bended and twisted towards his will. Takeo's hands moved over each other and spun around the piece of paper until he held up the finished product in his hand, a grin plastered on his face.

"And that's how you make a crane," he said to the boy across from him. The kid looked down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hands and frowned. Takeo set down the crane on the table between them.

"Maybe I should have started you out on something less complex," he said. The boy smushed the paper into a ball and dropped it on the table. He grabbed another sheet of paper from the pile between them and tried again.

"You know what they say about what happens when you fold a thousand paper cranes, right?" Takeo asked him as he started his own origami.

"That you can make a wish and it'll come true?" the boy said. Takeo smiled.

"Yup."

"Do you think it's true?" the boy asked him. Takeo met his hopeful look and motioned towards the work in progress in his hands.

"I hope so. Who knows? Maybe one of those guys with yen up to their eyeballs got that way because of this," Takeo showed his brother his finished crane and set it next to the other, "If we folded all of them, what would you wish for?"

The boy thought for a moment, pinching his nosebridge as he did so. Then a proud smile crept up on his face as he answered, "I'd wish that you weren't sick anymore."

Takeo reached over and ruffled the boy's dark hair with a laugh, "Kiyoshi Kato, that's awfully kind of you."

"You always said to do nice things for other people," Kiyoshi countered. Takeo shrugged and slid him another piece of paper.

"I do. I must be rubbing off on you more than I thought," he said.

"If you don't want me to, I can always wish for your jacket." Kiyoshi said. Takeo pinched the black hoodie he wore and smirked.

"You could, but it'd slide right off you. Don't worry Kio, when you get older I'll hand it down to you. I'll get another and we can be sweater buddies," Kio laughed and shook his head.

"That sounds so cheesy,"

"So is cheese but you love that," Takeo replied.

"That's different. It's food." Kio said. Takeo gave an exaggerated shrug.

"Food, sweaters, what's the difference?"

"You can eat one." Kio said without missing a beat. Takeo frowned and threw his hands up in the air.

"Fine, you win. It was cheesy. But I'm a cheesy person, so I'm okay with it."

Kio was about to reply when they both stopped at the sound of a car door slamming, followed by another. "Mom and dad are home."

Takeo peeked out over the window behind him. He watched silently as his parents drew closer to the front door. He frowned before turning to his younger brother, "Go to your room, Kio."

…

Takeo didn't take his eyes off the origami figure. His focus was so devoted to it that he almost didn't catch Hisao's voice.

"You alright, Takeo?"

He tore himself away from the crane and looked out over the table. Hanako was also staring at him somewhat curiously. Lilly had her hands clasped together with an expression of worry written plainly on her face.

Takeo opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His throat was stretched to the breaking point and felt incredibly dry. He swallowed and simply nodded. As much as he learned to trust the people sitting with him, he wasn't going to drag them into his own problems. They were only his to deal with.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just the fever messing with me," he responded. The crane in his hand fell back onto the table. A hand ran over his hair, feeling the small drops of sweat thanks to his fever. The good news was that he finally had an answer to one of his questions. He could finally place a name to the face that sat in his pocket. But now he was left with even more unanswered questions. The more he struggled to find out, the more he got lost in his own muddled memories.

Maybe he was better off not knowing after all.


	5. Fog: Chapter 5: Try Again

**Hello peeps and peepettes of the internet. After a brief negotiation with my internet to get it working again, I now bring this chapter to you. Enjoy!**

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**Guest: Yes you can. EVERYONE GETS MORE!**

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* * *

Chapter 5: Try Again

The sun bathed Takeo in its rays as he stepped out of the Shanghai with a piece of napkin in his hand, his quick motions making a figure coming to life.

_Fold right flap over to the left…then fold them down…_

The Shanghai's bell rang, announcing to him that the others had exited the restaurant as well. Takeo didn't so much as spare a glance, keeping his attention focused solely on the task in front of him. One hand glided to the side, pulling out the crane's distinctive head. With a triumphant grin, Takeo held up his craft for the entire town to see.

"I have conquered paper. Some amount of pride restored," he said to himself.

"You must be a very quick learner, Takeo," he heard Lilly say behind him. Takeo pivoted towards their direction with a sheepish smile.

"Uh…yeah, you can say that," he said, feeling some blood rush to his cheeks. He deposited the paper crane on the rim of a nearby trash bin, "I'll just leave it here for anyone that wants it. Maybe it'll brighten someone's day."

Hanako, Hisao, and Lilly followed Takeo out into the street. The boy walked with quickness in his step, as if he was running late for an appointment. His arms jumped from his pockets to his hips then to each other. Once the others caught up to him, Hisao noticed how his eyes mimicked his hands motions, bouncing from one thing to another as if he were an anxious toddler. Hisao learned to pick up subtle signals of discomfort or apprehension since he met Hanako. He was a little surprised to know that some signs were universal, even for someone who couldn't remember a thing.

"Something on your mind, Takeo?" he asked. For the first time, Takeo's gaze remained completely still, before gliding with unnatural smoothness towards him. A quick pause filled the air before Takeo offered a response.

"Just a little nervous. We have, you know, exams coming up. I'm left at a disadvantage here for getting into the year late. I don't even think cramming will help me out here," he said. Hisao narrowed his eyes. Takeo's words were about as transparent as they could get. Even after he joined them for several occasions, he still refused to be straightforward about his inner thoughts. Hisao shifted his gaze to Hanako and his eyes softened. Every time he felt the urge to take a more direct approach in whatever Takeo was hiding, he'd always remember how well that worked for him with Hanako. Perhaps, they'd both be better off if Takeo figured things out for himself first before he could help. His relationship with Hanako was proof of that.

"If you'd like, all four of us could meet for a study session tomorrow. I'm sure between the three of us you can have a firm grasp of the material," Lilly suggested. Takeo plunged his hands in his pockets taking a moment to release a lengthy sigh.

"Thanks, but I don't want you guys to waste your free time on my account. I'll manage," he replied.

"You sure? It's not a very sound idea to go at something alone if you don't understand it. We're here to help, that's what friends do," Hisao chipped in. Takeo raised a brow, staying silent as he processed Hisao's words. His part of his mind told him that it'd be for the better; that he'd be a fool for refusing a chance to catch up with the others. Yet in another obscure part, some feeling continued to tug at him; a small but persistent voice that kept telling him how much of a burden he'd be on the others if he accepted.

"Friends…right," he said, sounding either unsure of himself or Hisao's declaration, "I don't know. I just…don't think it'd be necessary, I think. I don't know how to say it."

"It's really no trouble. If it's our time you're concerned about, you shouldn't worry. I'm sure the rest of us can use the extra time to brush up on our own studies. It's really no trouble," Lilly assured him. Takeo scrunched his nose. The group rounded a corner and began the long ascent up the hill that led to their school.

"I guess…alright. Umm…where should we meet?" he asked his hands reverting back to their wringing motion.

"The tea room is as good a place as any. We could all meet there around three tomorrow, maybe?" Lilly said.

"Sounds good to me," Hisao answered. Hanako, who had so far stayed silent throughout the conversation, nodded affirmatively.

"I-I can go too…"

Lilly nodded with a small smile on her face, complacency filling her voice, "So Takeo, have you found any clubs that grabbed your interest?"

Takeo's chin lifted upwards as he clicked his tongue, "I checked some stuff out after school yesterday. First one I tried was Journalism which was okay, but I'm not really the hard-boiled investigative journalist type. Then I checked out the engineering club and promptly got lost in their talk about ten seconds in. They have cool model rockets though."

Takeo's mouth curved upwards slightly as he recalled yesterday's events, "They had a lot of tech in there. I was more interested in that than the talks they were having. They had these little helicopters that flew around in a synchronized formation. I, uh…crashed them into the chalkboard. Joystick was a little sensitive. I kinda showed myself out after that."

Hisao snickered at the thought of Takeo walking backwards sheepishly out of the room, holding his hands up as if to deflect any guilt. Takeo looked out over the town, his small grin disappearing, "Last club I tried out was the art club. The members are nice if a little absorbed in their work, but something about the teacher rubs me the wrong way."

"What do you mean?" Hisao asked. Takeo grimaced, looking away from the sleepy suburbia they just came back from.

"I haven't the faintest idea. Just something about him feels off. He seems…too detached to me. Like he's living in his own little world with little desire to get out of it. Also doesn't help that he has a habit of sticking his tongue out whenever he gets into the lesson," he said, adding as an afterthought, "Didn't join that either. I'm starting to feel like a fish out of water for not getting involved around here."

"It's really not a problem. None of us are in a club. It's not mandatory, it's just another way for people to socialize really," Hisao said. Takeo shrugged instead of giving a reply. The rest of the walk back continued without much conversation. Bits of topics ranging from schoolwork to personal lives were exchanged between all three except for Takeo, who kept himself busy by scanning the horizon and sky.

Once they reached the dorms, the four gave quick farewells before making a beeline towards their respective dorms. Takeo and Hisao arrived to their rooms across from each other. Just as Hisao reached for the door, Takeo's voice broke through.

"Can I ask you something?"

Hisao looked over his shoulder to see Takeo halfway into his room, his hand still on the door knob.

"Sure, what's up?"

Takeo bit his lower lip, his eyes sinking to the carpet. His free hand reached up and scratched the back of his head as he spoke, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything and I certainly don't want to make myself look arrogant or uptight or stubborn or…"

Takeo stopped and thought for a moment, looking like the words were having difficulty forming in his head. His arms folded across his chest as his foot lightly tapped the floor, "You guys have put up with me a lot. Way more than you should. You and Lilly both went out of your way to help me and I just wanted to know…if there was some way I can make it up to you guys?"

Hisao removed his hand from the door, turning fully to face the boy in front of him, "You don't really have to. It's not a favor thing, Takeo. I don't expect you to repay me and neither does Lilly. It's in her nature to take care of people."

Takeo raised a brow, "And what about you? You've stuck your neck out for me just as much as Lilly has."

"It's the right thing to do, isn't it?" Hisao replied without missing a beat. His answer must have been satisfactory, judging by the smirk that played across Takeo's features before disappearing.

"It might be…doesn't feel right to me for taking all this help and having pretty much nothing to show for it. And I don't like feeling like I owe someone especially when what I just said applies. So…if there's any way I can help you with anything, you let me know."

Hisao looked him up and down, a slight frown on his face. He had only known Takeo for a few days and already he was offering to help him in whatever he wanted. It didn't sit right with him how helping out Takeo devolved into nothing but favors in his mind.

"I'll keep it in mind. I'll see you later, I got some homework to catch up on," Hisao said. Takeo nodded understandably and retreated back to his room, closing the door behind him with an audible _click. _Hisao entered his room and leaned his hands against the windowsill. The sky and clouds travelled across the endless expanse bathed in the sun's full light.

The stack of textbooks and papers called out to him from his desk. Hisao groaned and plopped down in his seat, flipping open a textbook with one hand while bringing his homework in front of him with the other.

Hisao's brain went into auto-pilot. A series of long and tedious physics equations stared back at him, challenging him to solve the questions down to the smallest variable. A lead-tipped pencil hovered over the first empty space and quickly wrote out a series of letters and numbers as the answer manifested on the blank space.

Mutou's homework was never particularly hard, something that the unkempt teacher was very pleased to know. Hisao even gave Shizune a run for her money now and again.

The pink end of his pencil lightly bounced off his desk as he worked out another problem in his head. Mutou had even encouraged Hisao to pursue his talent to a professional level; even offering him brochures from different colleges with promising intellectual fields. Hisao couldn't deny the idea appealed to him. Taking what he already knew as second nature and making a career out of it seemed like a recipe for success. Although he had to admit under a fair amount of remorse that he had ignored his future completely over the past few weeks.

Another blank space filled up. Hisao leaned back against his chair, his brow furrowing as he took in the next question. His mind pulled up everything he knew while the tip of his pencil flew about the paper.

Even though Hisao felt a little ashamed for putting off his future, he couldn't help but smile when he remembered the reason for it. He may have slacked off a bit when it came to preparing himself, but he gained something so much more worthwhile. Just remembering her was enough to conjure up all the amazing times they spent together. If he sacrificed an arm and a leg to be with her, he would have pressed on without complaint. She meant a great deal to him and that was more than Hisao could say for anybody else.

The afternoon came and went by the time Hisao finished with all his homework. A deep violet and orange glow on the horizon was his only signal for the time. Hisao stacked his textbook back on the already tall stack and pushed away from his desk. Just as he came to his feet, a knock echoed from his door.

Hisao stretched his arms as he crossed the room. He half expected Kenji or Takeo being on the other side of the door. Hisao turned the knob and cracked the door open slightly, smiling warmly at the person on the other side.

Hanako smiled back at him with her hands clasped together and over her chest. She turned her head from side to side before uttering, "H-Hi Hisao."

"Hey Hanako. What are you doing here?" Hanako's hands let go of each other, her scarred hand running down a lock of her dark hair.

"I..I was wondering if…I could come inside," she whispered. Hisao raised a brow. Hanako's cheeks reddened, her small smile growing from ear to ear.

"Sure thing. I'm a little surprised to see you here," Hisao said as he walked back to allow her inside, closing his door behind Hanako as she entered. Hanako lightly pinched the sleeve of her white blouse, strands of her hair falling in front of her one visible eye as she spoke.

"I-I thought it'd be nice to…talk with you. I-If that's okay," she hesitated briefly before her eyes met Hisao's.

"Of course. You don't have to worry about bothering me, you know," Hisao said. Hanako released her cuff and nodded slowly. She turned her head from side to side, examining all angles of his room. Hisao realized that Hanako had never been in his room before.

She took a few tentative steps inside. Her arms hung limply from her shoulders while she scanned the room. Hisao frowned at the messy desk and unmade bed and hoped that she didn't mind a disorganized mess.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were coming. I would have cleaned up a little bit," Hisao said. Hanako turned to him with a small, inquisitive glint in her eyes.

"T-That's alright," she said. Her hair flipped around as she continued her meticulous observation. Then she froze. Hisao arced a brow and came to her side.

"Something wrong?"

Hanako motioned towards Hisao's nightstand, more specifically, the rows of medication bottles arranged neatly next to his alarm clock. Hanako took a step closer and hesitantly reached out. She stared at him out of the corner of his eye, awaiting his approval. Once Hisao nodded for her to go ahead, Hanako gently took one of the plastic bottles and held it up to eye-level.

"This is…"

"For my heart, yeah. I have to take those two times a day every day just to make sure I don't get worse." Hisao said with some amount of scorn. Not at Hanako or at his medication, more at the condition that had stolen possibly years of his life away from him. Hanako rattled the contents in the container before setting it down.

"Isn't there something…you c-can do to make yourself…better then?" she asked. Hisao frowned and shuffled his feet, the carpet floor becoming his only center of attention.

"The nurse did suggest that I try some exercise to strengthen my heart, but…" Hisao felt an overwhelming wave of shame hit him. He always had a way to make himself healthier yet he chose to ignore it and take the easy way out. Now that he was being directly questioned, by his girlfriend no less, he could help but glower in embarrassment.

"I-If it's good for you…I think you should try it l-like the nurse said. It'd make you better and I…I want you to get better," she said barely above a whisper. Hisao felt a smile creeping up on him, which he released in full force. She certainly had a way of persuading him.

"I guess I can go talk to Emi and see about starting running again. I bet she'll be ecstatic about having me as a running partner again," Hisao said, taking a seat on his bed. Hanako

_I might get an earful for ditching her the first time though._

"Oh okay. Y-You won't try to get out of it again?" Hanako asked with a teasing grin on her face.

"If I do, you have every right to yell at me until I get back to it," Hisao replied. Hanako blushed and scooted closer to him, placing her hand over his.

"I-I don't think I could do that," she said. Hisao reached over and placed his free hand over hers. The tips of his digits ran over her scarred skin before filling the gaps between her fingers.

"You never know," Hisao brought her hand up and lightly kissed the top of her hand, making Hanako blush slightly from the warm contact. Hanako slid her hand out of his grip and oriented herself so that she faced him. Her flushed cheeks grew warmer as she drew closer. Hisao shared her small smile and followed her motions, his own cheeks growing hot.

Hanako's eyes closed the moment their lips met. A soft gasp escaped her mouth. Two soft hands reached up and secured themselves on Hisao's shoulders, pulling him closer as the kiss above grew more heated. Hisao scrunched his nose and pulled away from the kiss, leaving Hanako with a bashful expression.

"Sorry, I just…" Hisao reached out with two fingers and pushed aside Hanako's fringe. She wrapped her fingers around her hair and tucked it away behind her ear. With her face fully visible, Hanako unconsciously tried to shrink away, but Hisao's firm grip on her hand reminded her that she was with someone she trusted. Even after all the time they've spent and after the moments where Hisao had seen her face in its entirety; she still couldn't break the bonds that were the strongest. She didn't worry though; time heals all wounds they say. Adding Hisao's support only reaffirmed her belief that she'd continue to climb out of the hole she dug for herself a decade ago.

Hisao suddenly let go of her, placing his arms back in his lap, "You said you had something to tell me?"

Hanako's dreamy smile faltered slightly, but Hisao didn't fail to notice it. She tilted her head from side to side, her amethyst eyes changing direction every few seconds. Hisao was just about to ask her if something was the matter before Hanako stopped and stared right him, a delicate smile playing on her lips again, "I-It can wait."

Hisao raised a brow. This was the second time Hanako refused to tell him something that was obviously on her mind. She was holding something back and Hisao frowned at the thought of her not being straightforward him after all the pain they went through doing that exact thing at the park a week ago.

"Are you sure? Nothing's bothering you?" he asked. Hanako nodded almost before Hisao could finish his question. Hisao inwardly cringed; he couldn't help but feel some amount of failure on his part. He had a new, blossoming relationship and they were already treading towards troubled waters, "Okay then."

A cloud of somewhat awkward silence entered the room. Hisao looked outside his window to see the moon already hanging in the night sky. He turned to his night stand to see that it was almost 8:30.

"I, uh, should be getting ready for bed. I'll see you in class tomorrow, okay?" Hanako rose from his bed, wrapping her arms around his neck once he stood up.

"O-Okay. See you tomorrow, Hisao," Hanako slipped one last kiss in before letting him go. Hisao walked with her and opened the door for her. The two shared one last hug before Hanako stepped out with a small wave. Hisao shut the door behind her and sighed. Eventually, whatever she kept delaying in telling him had to come out. The hardest part was biding his time until she decided to finally open up.

Hisao moved away from his door and gathered a towel and his nightclothes, which consisted of a pair of boxers and a light shirt. Snatching up his toothbrush from the drawer in his nightstand, Hisao left his room and headed for the showers.

…

Lilly gave a small sigh after taking a sip of her tea. The hint of vanilla sent a pleasant sensation over her senses. She took another drink before setting down her porcelain cup carefully on the tray in front of her. Her pale hand slowly roamed the smooth tabletop until the tips of her fingers found purchase on the tray's handles.

With practiced efficiency, Lilly stood up while taking extra care to keep the tray leveled. Taking a few steps to the side, she came to a stop and set the tray down on the dresser next to her bed.

Her phone ringed from its place on her table. Lilly expertly moved passed her table and retrieved her phone. With a flick of her wrist, Lilly pressed the answer key and pressed it against her ear, "Hello, this is Lilly Satou speaking."

"Hey sis!"

Lilly smiled widely as she sat down on her bed, "Hello Akira. It's good to hear from you. How are you doing?"

"Hard to say. I got our tickets to Inverness. We leave in two weeks. You tell your friends yet?"

Lilly's smile deteriorated. She loathed to think about leaving, but what choice did she have? Even if their parents essentially abandoned her and her sister, they were still family. She still had to listen to them. That was how she was raised and that was what she was going to do, "I'll tell them soon, Akira."

"Good. I still gotta break the news to my boyfriend, so we're both taking our time, huh?"

"When I get the chance to tell them, I will. In the meantime, I best start thinking about what to take when we depart," Lilly said in her best effort to sound cheerful.

"Same here. Gotta look presentable when we hit Scotland. I'll call you later okay sis?"

"Yes…goodbye Akira."

"See you later!"

Lilly flipped her phone closed and deposited it next to her clock. A quick once-over told her it was getting close to eleven. After turning off all her lights, Lilly sank into bed and pulled the covers over herself.

The idea of breaking the news to her friends plagued her mind. She could only imagine what Hanako would think once she found out her best friend was leaving her. Hisao was always there to support her, but Lilly didn't doubt that the news would still come as a terrible shock.

She would have loved nothing more than to stay, but the circumstances were stacked against her. She could only hope that her friends would take the news well and that she could say a proper goodbye before leaving the life she lived in for most her teenage life.

All she could afford to do was wait until the time was right and even that seemed like too foreboding of a task.


	6. Fog: Chapter 6: You and I

**Hey guys, sorry about the long wait, but several things grabbed my attention. But I'm back to writing this. Hope you enjoy!**

**Bandman2000: Sorry for the long wait then! I'll try not to be a terribly slow writer next time. Nobody's happy when that happens.**

**Macbeth 7768: Thanks for the feedback. They have been recorded into an archive of writing 101. Hopefully it'll start to improve given time.**

**Alklaine: Gracias! Hope it meets your expectations.**

**Cameron S: Oh no, Takeo doesn't have AIDS. The acronyms are similar, but Takeo's immune system isn't weak. It just can't tell the difference between bacteria and body tissue. Hope that clears it up a bit.**

**Gredd18: And waiting you shall no longer do!**

* * *

Chapter 6: You and I

"A vector has direction and magnitude. It goes somewhere and it goes there in a…powerful way I'm guessing," Takeo said to himself with animated hand motions. He flipped a page of the textbook propped against his knees while slipping one hand under his pillow, "Angles and directions and…I confused myself."

Takeo tossed his textbook aside with a groan. Every time he tried to study, he'd always end up getting himself lost and learning nothing. Lines and lines of arithmetic problems filled the huge pages of his textbook, taunting at his inability to solve them. A yawn escaped despite Takeo's best efforts to resist. It wouldn't be long before he passed out from trying to force himself to study.

_At least it's better than counting sheep._ Takeo mused as he shut his textbook and tossed it on his nightstand. He lay back on his bed and stretched his arms over his head, his damp hair bending in awkward angles. A loud banging sound knocked him out of any chance of dozing off. It took him a second to notice that his door was wide open with a certain bespectacled boy standing out in the doorway.

Takeo raised a brow, inwardly releasing a painful sigh. He looked at Kenji before turning his attention to his open door, "I knew there was something I forgot to do."

"Sup?" Kenji bounced into the room, completely unaware of the strained look on Takeo's face. The owner of the room sat up and climbed off his bed, holding his two hands up.

"No please, I insist you come in,"

Kenji frowned, placing his hands on his hips and thrusting his chest out like a misguided superhero, "I already did. Why are you asking?"

Takeo pinched his nosebridge, any semblance of staying friendly dissipating immediately, "Is there something you want?"

Kenji whipped around the check the room across the hall before slamming Takeo's door shut. Kenji scowled and faced him, his face as red as a tomato, "Shit's getting tense, man. They're closer than I thought they'd be. Damn it!"

"Is it about those feminists again? Didn't you say they hid some super feminist headquarters?" Takeo asked. Kenji groaned and slapped his hands against his head, shaking it adamantly.

"No, that's not the point! I caught one of them. A spy! I spied on a spy! I caught her red-handed and I need you to follow her to see who she reports too!"

"Kenji, I'd love to, but it's almost curfew and I'd rather not get kicked out on the curb just to find out who she reports to. Doesn't help that you barged into my room like some maniacal door-to-door salesman." Takeo replied. Kenji ripped his hands from his face and pointed at Takeo with a damning finger.

"But that's what I am. I go around selling the truth and those damn witches are trying to stop me!" Kenji bellowed.

"If you're selling the truth, I doubt anyone could handle it," Takeo mumbled. Kenji smirked and stood rigidly at attention, his chin tilted up in the air.

"That's why no one's buying. So it's on the house."

Takeo sighed again and collapsed on his bed, "So who was this girl you spied on anyways?"

"Some demon with dark hair covering her face. Feminists can't afford masks so that have to use their own hair to disguise themselves."

Takeo rose up from his bed like a vampire coming out of his coffin. A perplexed expression turned into realization as he came to a conclusion, "You're talking about Hanako, aren't you?"

"It doesn't matter. I saw her walking out of Hisao's room. She was snooping around in there; she probably rigged his stuff to explode or some shit. That's why you gotta follow her and find out who she reports to so we can interrogate her and defuse the bomb in Hisao's room," Kenji said.

"Why bother? Hanako only ever talks with Hisao and Lilly, and-"

"Damn it! Not that blind broad!" Kenji's shouting was enough the echo off the walls and down the hall. Takeo was willing to bet the other boys in the common room heard his ranting, "It had to be her! Couldn't be anyone else but her. It makes so much sense."

"Care to fill me in? I don't see how these two could be much of a threat," Kenji advanced on Takeo without warning and stopped a few inches of his face. His garlic breath invaded Takeo's nostrils as he spoke.

"She's with the mafia, bro! I've seen her talking with some suit in a car. She must've got the bomb from there and gave it to that hair girl to rig into Hisao's room. It all fits!"

Takeo took a few steps back while pinching his nose to prevent any rogue garlic aroma getting to him again, "Yeah right, mafia stuff. So we better stop talking about it, right? Lest they bust our kneecaps for squealing."

Kenji frowned. His fingers tented together as he walked back and forth before snapping his fingers, "You gotta warn Hisao, man. If he goes in there, we're all screwed."

"Right, I'll get on that. Thanks for letting me know," Takeo said with the most convincing smile he could muster. Kenji enthusiastically nodded and dug his hands into his pockets.

"No problem, bro. Remember, never trust them. They'll try and seduce you with their feminine wiles and when you least expec-WHAM!"

Takeo slightly jumped and frowned once he composed himself, "Yeah, I get it. Thanks for the heads up."

"Remember what I said, it'll save your life. See you later bro."

The second Takeo heard the door shut behind Kenji was the same second he collapsed on his bed for good. Takeo yawned and pulled the covers up to his neck, basking in the softness of his mattress. He stared up at the light fixture on his ceiling and grabbed one of his shoes from next to his bed. Taking careful aim, Takeo reeled back his arm and catapulted his shoe at the light switch across the room.

His shoe hit the wall with a satisfying thump that was accompanied by absolute darkness. Takeo stared at the wall, absolutely dumbfounded, "I didn't think that'd actually work."

Takeo gave himself a glorious fist pump and plopped down into his bed. He could feel the urge to sleep washing over him as he found a comfortable position. Just as he fell into a deep sleep, a final thought entered his mind.

He forgot to lock his door again.

…

An eerie and prolonged creaking noise filled Hanako's room as she opened her door. Her hand reached out into the darkness until finding purchase on the light switch next to her door. She flipped it on and closed the door behind her in one smooth motion. Hanako pushed her dark, damp hair behind her ears, letting it fall over her slender shoulders. Hanako stifled a gasp when something brushed against her bare foot.

She stared down at a white envelope on the carpet. No doubt it came from the Student Council. Hanako gingerly picked up the envelope, silently grateful she didn't have to receive it personally. Settling herself on her bed, Hanako's dainty fingers reached inside and pulled out a folded, stark white paper.

It wasn't often Hanako had mail. That alone was enough for her to deduce who it came from. If she ever wanted to reach Hanako, she'd always go for old-fashioned mail as opposed to the more modern text message.

Some people preferred the classics apparently.

Hanako unfolded the sheet, her eyes glued to the expert penmanship written neatly on the paper.

_Hanako,_

_I apologize for not writing to you in a while. Things with the orphanage have been called to my attention more and more recently. Have no doubt that you are always first and foremost in my mind._

_I'm sure you know why I'm writing to you. It's your last year with Yamaku. You've grown into a fine young woman, you know? Far more independent and strong than the girl I met ten years ago._

Hanako re-read the last sentence. She always tried to exaggerate Hanako's progress. Whether it was for her benefit or for Hanako's she didn't know. But she never really felt the need for it. The first time they met, Hanako had shrunk down like a scared rabbit and almost ran off if not for the orphanage staff accompanying the much older woman.

_While I'm not entirely familiar with your progress in school. I would like to visit you soon and see how you are. It's been months since my last one and I don't wish to feel like I'm neglecting you. I promise not to take too much of your time. I merely want to check up on you and know your plans for the future after you are released from the orphanage's care completely. But even when that time comes, I'll do my best to try and keep in touch with you. I will come around some time during the beginning of the week. I hope that is okay for you. _

_Best Wishes,_

_Narumi Arakawa_

A subtle crinkling noise filled the air as Hanako's grip on the paper tightened. Hanako hadn't seen her in months, true, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to see her at all. Hanako had been meaning to tell Hisao about the inevitable end to the orphanage's duties, hoping that he'd understand and maybe encourage her self-determination, but constantly found herself unable to. She didn't want him to worry. She had already done enough of that in their tumultuous relationship.

Hanako peeked over the wrinkled paper at her shelf. The dolls her friends gave her sat there, watching over the room with a quiet vigil. The chessboard Hisao gave her lay not too far off. Its wooden surface reflecting a blurred streak of moonlight. Hanako released a shaky breath and set the paper aside.

She still had a while before Narumi's arrival. No matter what happened, Hanako knew she could count on her friends to support her through the worst of times.

She just hoped the worst of times were far, far away.

…

The tranquil, serene wind blew steadily across the grassy fields. The deep dark night had transitioned to a cool, light gray; signaling the sun's impeding arrival. Most, if not all, students were still slumbering. If it were any of them, they would have been grumpy or out of energy by this time. For Emi however, today carried on with business as usual.

Her lithe form bounced energetically as her prosthetics traversed through the grass and onto the track. After doing some quick stretches, she positioned herself at the end of the track, hands on the ground, legs poised to charge. Another one of her trademark grins broke and she dove into a steady run.

Her breath remained unchanged as she circled the first round of the track. Steel blades clacked against the tartan track with an unrelenting fervor. Emi, her arms swaying to and fro, rounded the second corner with no intent of slowing down.

Her routine continued on without interruption. By the time she came to her eighth lap, her breathing had moved from even gulps of air to mouthfuls. The next corner drew closer. Emi increased her pace, her elastic legs hitting the ground in quick succession. Her legs pumped as she rounded the corner again. Her strawberry blonde hair whipped about furiously as she gained speed. Then her concentration broke when she spotted a familiar face.

Hisao came over the hill; sporting the gym outfit he had worn on the few times he joined her on the track. Emi skidded to a stop, her eyes blinking rapidly to make sure she was seeing right. Then a large grin erupted on her face before she ran up to him.

"Hisao! I'm so glad you're here!" Emi's cheerful smile turned sour as she rolled up her sleeve, "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you. The Nurse isn't very happy either."

Hisao stifled a smirk and settled for a meager shrug, trying his best to look sincere, "I know I kinda skipped out on you and I'm sorry about that. But I was hoping we could try again. I know now that my health is my responsibility and I shouldn't be slacking off about it."

Emi's frown remained. She closed her eyes and placed a fist over her heart, shaking her head with an exaggerated sway, "I don't know Hisao. I don't want try and help you only to have you skimp out on me again. You really hurt me last time."

"Well, I guess I can always ask Miki…"

Not even a second passed before Emi's mood took a sharp turn. Her eyes shot open as they took a competitive light. Her hands shot out and seized Hisao's, dragging him onto the track without giving him a chance to object, "Oh no! I had to take care of you from the start and that's what I'm gonna do."

Emi tugged Hisao onto the very corner of the track, her exuberance radiating off of her while she quickly thought up a plan of action. Hisao, trying to recall everything he did with Emi during these runs, resorted a series of stretches.

"Okay, I got it," Emi proclaimed as she placed a hand on her hip, her twin pigtails swinging rapidly as she nodded, "I won't scare you off with anything hard. I'll take it niiiiice and slow."

Hisao grimaced as his spine popped several times. He was willing to bet that Emi's definition of slow wasn't exactly the same as everyone else's. Emi turned to Hisao, her face radiating brightness, "Alright Hisao, let's kick it off! I'll stick by you no matter what!"

Emi bounced on her running blades before holding her arm out to the track as if she were a game show host, "Get a move on Hisao. You owe me ten laps around the track!"

Hisao hesitated and shot her a glare from over his shoulder, "You're not serious, right?"

Emi's own glare turned icy as she pointed towards the track, "I will be if you don't move it."

Hisao's shoulders slumped. He gave a long sigh before Emi's surprisingly threatening stare kicked him into gear. Running down the track, he was immediately caught up by Emi, who wasted no time offering words of encouragement as they barreled down the track. If Hisao faltered for even a moment, Emi hounded him with as much fire as he remembered her having.

After his second lap in, Hisao could feel the burn spreading in his sides. His heels throbbed with an erratic sensation, threatening to knock him out of his rhythm. And just like before, Emi was effortlessly matching his speed.

"Come on, Hisao! Are you serious about this?" Emi goaded him. Her twin pigtails flapping against her shoulders with wild abandon. Hisao couldn't force a word out if he tried. His weak heart pumped faster and faster, its rhythm growing erratic and unpredictable. Hisao gasped. An all too familiar sensation began to grow in his chest.

Hisao's front of Hisao's shoes began hitting the track as they completed their second lap. Emi noticed immediately and slowed down with him. This time, her passionate expression gave way to a more sympathetic, cute smile.

"You're doing great, Hisao. Keep it up!" she was practically beaming as she said those words. Her smile proved to be infectious because Hisao couldn't help but return the favor.

"Tha-thanks, Emi. I needed that pep talk." Emi's smile grew wider.

"Good thing I'm not going to stop until we're done then, huh? Now get going!" she ordered. Hisao swallowed a mouthful of air and broke into another run with Emi by his side.

For once, the thought of giving up never crossed his mind.

…

The last drops of water disappeared from Hisao's water bottle. He took the towel hanging around his shoulders and wiped his brow. The sunlight permeated through the dorm's windows as it rose from the horizon.

Hisao muttered under his breath as he pried his sticky shirt from his chest. He expected nothing less after the unforgiving exercise Emi got him into. Sticking his key in the lock, Hisao tensed slightly when a door opened behind him. He prepared himself for the worst.

"Hey…Hisao."

It definitely wasn't Kenji's voice. That alone was enough for Hisao to turn around and greet Takeo with a small smile, "Oh, s'up Takeo?"

Takeo merely shrugged, wiping the sleep from his eyes. His posture was slumped over and his arms swung limply at his sides, giving Hisao the impression of an old man. Takeo straightened the wrinkles of his short sleeved, white buttoned up shirt before replying, "I'm heading out into town. I'm in woeful lack of food. Cafeteria food is nice and dandy, but…a guy can only take so much sweet bread and ramen."

A tired, cheeky grin spread on his face as he gave the idea some thought. He looked yearningly down the hall, "Maybe some soba noodles. Yeah… nothing alcoholic or anything. I'm feeling soba."

Takeo turned to Hisao expectantly. It took a moment to register in Hisao's mind. When it did, Hisao couldn't help but scoff and cross his arms, "That was kind of a lame joke."

Takeo shrugged and looked back down the hall, "Cut me some slack. I'm feeling kind of out of it."

Hisao's face quickly turned serious. Despite the disapproving look, his voice held nothing but sincerity, "How's your fever coming?"

"Same as before. Dashed with a little sore throat to keep things interesting," Takeo grimaced. His eyes lit as a realization came to him, "Ooh, right. Medicine…yeah, that should probably be a priority too."

Hisao glanced over his shoulder at his dorm. He was actually in need of a few essentials himself. And it would help if he made sure Takeo didn't forget to take care of himself. Hisao turned the door knob and turned to Takeo, who was still looking down the hall, apparently lost in thought, "Mind if I tag along? I got a few things I should get too."

"Sure. The more the merrier!" Takeo said enthusiastically as he launched his hands up into the air. A perplexed look suddenly crossed his face. He pointed at Hisao with one hand while pinching his shirt with the other, "Might wanna change though; shower can't hurt either."

Hisao looked down at his sweat soaked shirt and let go of a breathless laugh, "Yeah, I'll get on that."

"Good man, hygiene is important. Don't forget to brush your teeth," Takeo requested as he retreated behind his room's door. Hisao shrugged nonchalantly and went back to his room to grab his towel and a clean set of clothes. It didn't take long before he arrived to the showers for a much needed wash.

…

The road ahead was lit brightly by the early Sunday sun. A steady wave of warmth hit Hisao with like a blanket. Not a single cloud lingered in the sky as he and Takeo made their way to the Aura Mart not far from the school.

Takeo walked with a surprisingly quick step, hands in his pocket. Hisao, still exhausted from Emi's workout, had trouble keeping up with him. Takeo slowed down a bit and glanced at Hisao, a knowing smirk growing on his face, "You're looking pretty fancy."

Hisao looked down at his argyle sweater vest; his usual go-to attire whenever he went out. He had plenty more, ones that anyone had yet to see, but he always felt like this one fit best. Plus, he wasn't sure how people would take his affinity for comfortable, yet sophisticated clothes, "I take it you're talking about the vest?"

"Sure," Takeo shrugged. He looked over at their reflections as they passed by store windows, their transparent figures interrupted by doors or walls before reappearing on another window, "You never see guys our age wearing that kind of stuff. You could set a trend, you know? I'm down with wearing sweater vests."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Hisao said politely. Takeo pulled a hand out of his pocket and pointed at Hisao before pointing back at him.

"Come on, we could be sweater buddies," he reasoned. Hisao shook his head and crossed his arms, his face displaying a look between bemusement and seriousness.

"Not gonna happen."

"Man, you're a tough nut," Takeo laughed. Despite his firm refusal, Hisao felt the corners of his mouth curve upward slightly. A somewhat comfortable period of silence followed as they came closer to the Aura Mart, its distinct colorful sign shining as brightly as always. Just as Hisao pushed open the door, Takeo broke the silence with a question Hisao wasn't prepared for, "So…how'd you meet Hanako?"

Hisao turned around cautiously; as if he was expecting a hungry bear to be right behind him. Takeo had his head cocked to the side, his hands still in his pockets. Hisao bit his lower lip, a low hum escaping his throat.

"That's…kind of a story," Hisao said while backing into the store. Takeo followed eagerly, his eyes taking on an ardent glint.

"That's alright, I like stories. They make the world go round, like gravity," Takeo said before adding, "And gravity is just the Earth's way of hugging everything. Hugging gives people feelings. So, by extension, stories give people feelings. So…give me some feelings."

Hisao stared at Takeo, being suddenly reminded of Rin with his outlandish way of thinking. Takeo continued to stare at Hisao expectantly until something on one of the store's shelves caught his eye, "Oh hey, there's the soba noodles."

Takeo skipped over to the shelf and browsed through the selection. Meanwhile, Hisao shook his head and went over to the opposite isle, determining the best way to try and explain his first encounter with his girlfriend.

"Well, we met in the library. It was after class and I wanted to check out their selection of books. I actually had Lilly escort me there after I got turned around," Hisao began. Takeo whistled but otherwise said nothing, "I found her at the back of the library, reading 'The Life of Pi'."

"Life of Pi? It wouldn't have anything to do with math, would it?" Takeo asked while inspecting the label on a plastic cup of noodles.

"No, sorry," Hisao said as he grabbed a loaf of bread.

"Worth a shot."

"Anyways, I just sat down close to her while I read a book of my own. I tried to strike up a conversation with her, but it felt really forced. So we kinda fell into silence before long," Hisao recalled. Takeo scoured through other things on the shelf, listening intently, "Then we kept stealing glances at each other until we accidentally made eye-contact. Next thing I know, she panicked and bolted out of the library before I could do so much as blink."

"Wow, not the greatest way to start a relationship. Still, could use more detail," Takeo commented. Hisao arced a brow and crossed his arms.

"What are you talking about?" Takeo shrugged and dropped a packet of sugar before tapping a finger against his chin.

"Say something like 'Sheets of amber clashed with her raven locks. Her intense violet gaze rivaled the most brilliant of gems. Her poise lent credence to her refinement as a lady. The soft words that left her rosy lips graced my ears like an angelic song," Takeo said as if he were in a play. He placed a hand over his heart and sighed, "The passion left in her wake ignited the fire in my tattered soul, invigorating it with the hope of one day having her as my life-long companion."

"What the hell was that?" Hisao couldn't stop himself from blurting that out. Takeo's hand dropped from his chest and he shrugged.

"Too much?" he asked. Hisao nodded fervently.

"It's really uncomfortable hearing you talk like that about my girlfriend," Hisao admitted. Takeo felt the color run from his face and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Eh…sorry. I kinda got carried away," Takeo removed his hand from his neck and shoved them into his pockets, looking either embarrassed or ashamed. Either way, his mood quickly came back and his grin soon followed, "How about something more you-oriented? And classic like Shakespeare?"

Hisao didn't even have time to interject before Takeo launched into another dramatic monologue, "Two kindred souls, both alike in dignity…"

"Takeo…"

"In fair Yamaku, where we lay our scene…"

"Could you please not…"

"From new love break old scrutiny…"

"That's enough," Hisao exclaimed. Takeo shut his mouth but bowed his head.

"Has there ever been a story of more woe, than this of Hisao and his Hanako?" A moment of silence passed before Takeo raised his head, "Okay I'm done. Don't kill me,"

"No more stories. At least none like those," Hisao said. Takeo's shoulders slumped, but he reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, I'll just express myself in other artsy forms. I still have to get into a club, come to think of it," Takeo murmured, his demeanor suddenly dropping as he brought up the subject.

"If you really want to join one, it's only a matter of time, right?" Hisao said in an effort to cheer him up.

"Yeah, time. Waiting seems to be the theme so far…" Takeo said. Hisao didn't fail to notice the wistful look written plainly on Takeo's face. It was off-putting seeing Takeo go from care-free and joking one second then serious and worried the next. The dismal look in his eyes seemed to fog up the deep brown of his irises.

"Oh medicine, almost forgot," Takeo said suddenly. He tossed a plastic bag over his shoulder and exited the aisle towards the back of the store. Hisao didn't bother to go after him, instead opting to gather the few remaining things on his list.

Hisao scanned through the monotony of labels and pictures. Aside from the repetitive music playing softly over the store's intercom, and the subtle squeaking of his shoes, not a sound could be heard. Hisao grabbed a loaf of bread, lightly squeezing it to ensure its breadth before placing it in his bag. Hisao casually looked over the aisle and came to a stop. Across from the shelf lay an assortment of spices. Everything ranging from simplest like salt and pepper to the more exquisite and adventurous sat in a neat order. The one that stood out most to him, though, was the thyme sitting close to the end.

_That reminds me, Hanako and I have yet to actually cook together. _Before he knew it, Hisao began gravitating towards the spice. Ignoring the few times she created a questionable concoction, Hanako's cooking had been improving over the past month. Hisao had only seen her in action once before during their trip to Hokkaido and the look on her face was reminiscent of the one she wore when she played him in billiards back in the city. Although Hisao was mostly an observer then, he couldn't deny the idea of helping her with dinner to be appealing.

"I guess getting this for her won't be so bad," he said to himself as he wrapped a hand around the spice. A warm smile grew as the thought of cooking with her filled his mind. Hisao treasured every moment he spent with her and the promise of another one with her brought back the bounce in his step as he headed towards the counter.

The indifferent clerk gave Hisao a slight nod and scanned through his items. After handing the man a 2000 yen note, Hisao grabbed his things, sliding his arm through the plastic handles and using his free hand to grab his change.

"I have returned," Takeo announced as he dropped his own things on the counter, "And I bring medicine. Now I don't have to suffer and I don't have to curse any god."

After paying for his own things, the two left the store. Takeo took a long drag of the crisp aroma in the air as he walked out and sighed. The heavy sunshine hung over them and Takeo was all too happy to shield his eyes from the light. He tried his best to ignore the sweat collecting above his brow, though. The sun may not have been on his side, but he wasn't going to give it the satisfaction of complaining.

"You know, I'm starting to get pretty fond of this place. It's like heaven, minus the whole being dead thing and the unhelpful brain," Takeo said. His hand subconsciously scratched the bandages still wrapped around his head.

"When are you supposed to take that off anyway?" Hisao asked. Takeo gave him a perplexed look before looking ruefully up at the white linen cloth.

"Doc said by the end of the week, I could take them off. Wait, it's Sunday. I probably should have done that already," Takeo noted, his hand coming inches away from smacking himself in the face, "I'm not on the ball today. I blame the fever."

Again Hisao fought the urge to direct him to the Nurse. Takeo could be astonishingly stubborn on some subjects. His health seemed to be chief among them. Hisao had to wonder just how he had to deal with the doctors in the hospital. He could bitterly recall all the lectures and not-so-helpful things the doctors had told him during his own stay. If Takeo had to go through the same thing, Hisao shouldn't have been so surprised as to why he was so adamant about taking care of things himself.

With nothing left to talk about, Hisao reached into his bag and pulled out the thyme. The pale green spice shifted from one side to the other as Hisao twirled it in his palm. Maybe he should have gotten more things for Hanako to work with. Or maybe he shouldn't have gotten anything at all, in case Hanako didn't actually need it.

Regardless, the gesture alone should make Hisao's point clear. He held no doubt that Hanako would be glad to show him the basics.

The pair slowly trudged back up the hill. A rattling sound drew Hisao to his companion, who was shaking a white bottle while staring idly out to the road. Takeo held the bottle up to eye level and narrowed his eyes, "Duramel Cold and Flu Medicine. Lasting 24 hour protection."

Takeo's eyes widened and he drew a capsule from the bottle, "Weren't we supposed to have a study session?"

"With Lilly and Hanako, yeah. Did you forget something?" Hisao asked. Takeo dropped the small pill, twisting the cap back into place as he spoke. A small bitter smile cracked on his lips.

"A lot of things actually. That's why I'm here," he said. Despite the lighthearted words, Takeo's face was anything but. His eyes were drawn, almost weary. The forced smile was fragile, ready to break at a moment's notice. The tethers holding up Takeo's façade were ripping ever so slightly, Hisao was sure only a few words would be enough to drop it completely.

Then like the other times, the brief moment of weakness dissipated. Like dust in the wind, it left no evidence that it was there. Hisao felt a tiny ball of frustration fester in his chest. Takeo tried so hard not to leave a sliver of inconvenience on anybody, yet whatever he refused to share was dangling over Hisao. He knew it had to have to do with the reason he was here but Hisao knew better than to ask. The first time he ever told his condition was to Rin, and that was only because she got him flustered enough to do it. Lilly or Hanako would have been the first to know otherwise. Takeo could have the same reservations as he did.

_He'll tell us when he's ready, _Hisao's mind told him. He was about to fall deep into his own thoughts, before Takeo interrupted him, "But enough about me, I was going to ask where were we going to meet. The library? Does this school have a library?"

"You never went into the library?" Hisao asked. Takeo rubbed the back of his head, looking quite ruffled with himself. Takeo should have expected that there was one. Although between his hermit tendencies to stay in his room most of the time and only exploring what was required to get to his classes, he wasn't surprised he never found it.

"Eh no. I haven't really adventured past the tea room," Takeo mumbled. A small pause passed between them as they began their ascent back up to Yamaku. Takeo shoved the bottle back in and held out his hand towards the town they were just leaving, "I've actually explored this place more than our own school."

"I'll show you the way. It's not that far from the tea room anyways," Hisao said.

"Such a gentleman, Hisao. Hanako is a lucky girl," Takeo said. The school gate came into view. Other students wearing their casual clothes were lined up at the bus stop. Takeo and Hisao passed by them without any mind and continued through the main courtyard. Hisao flipped open his phone and held it up to his ear. After two rings, a meek, sweet voice came through the other end.

"H-Hisao?"

"Hey Hanako. Can you meet us in the library soon?" Hisao asked. Hanako stuttered on the other end, but there was no mistaking she was happy to hear him.

"O-Okay. I'll get Lilly and meet you there," she replied. No doubt there was a smile on her face, which only made Hisao smile himself.

"Great, see you soon."

Hisao could hear Hanako hesitate over the line. Then her next words made his heart flutter.

"I-I love you," Hisao's cheeks flushed with red but somehow he managed to keep his composure.

"Yeah, I love you too," Hisao blushed, suddenly very aware of the cheeky grin on Takeo's face. The two exchanged a few more words before Hisao ended the call with the flip of his phone. By the time Hisao faced Takeo, the grin had not disappeared.

"Seriously, this is fairy tale material," he said. Hisao rolled his eyes. The two made it to the front steps of their dorm, peeking through the doors windows for any sign of their resident rambler. Seeing the coast clear, Takeo took a careful step inside and motioned for Hisao to follow.

"Kenji actually busted in my room last night. He said something about Hanako rigging a bomb in your room because Lilly told her to. So if he asks, tell him I did my part for our manly crusade or whatever it is he's calling it," Takeo said. Hisao came to a stop in front of his door, staring at it with skepticism.

"I appreciate you telling me…?" Hisao said, unsure if Takeo's caution warranted a thank you. Takeo shrugged and took two quick steps inside his room.

"I'll meet you at the library. You said it shouldn't be too far from the tea room, right? I'll find it...eventually. I need to sort through the mess that is my school work, first. Don't start without me, ya hear?" Takeo said, pointing at finger at Hisao while mimicking the voice of a stern father.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hisao replied. Takeo's hands dug into his pocket and he gave a slow, solemn nod.

"Atta boy. I raised you right," And with that, Takeo shut the door behind him. Hisao deposited his things on his bed. The thyme soon came into his hand. He turned it over a few times in a ponderous manner and dropped it on his nightstand. Grabbing his school work and heading towards the door, Hisao glanced over his shoulder at it one more time and left to the library.


End file.
